Trump administration frees up billions in federal aid for Pennsylvania: Shapiro

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) said the Trump administration has agreed to unfreeze more than $2 billion in state funding he claimed was unlawfully withheld, in part citing his recent lawsuit against the administration.

"Our continued pressure on and engagement with the Trump administration, in which we demanded the administration comply with the legal injunctions currently in place and made clear that we were ready to seek immediate relief from the courts — every dollar we identified at the filing of our lawsuit is currently unfrozen and once again accessible to Pennsylvania state agencies, in accordance with legal injunctions currently in place,” Shapiro said during a Monday news conference.

“With the funding restored, we will now resume critical programs and infrastructure projects that have been jeopardized by this illegal freeze,” he added.

The Democratic governor noted he repeatedly brought up his concerns Friday, while attending a meeting between the National Governors Association and President Trump.

“When I was at the White House on Friday, I repeatedly brought up our frozen federal funding to President Trump’s senior team and cabinet," he told reporters. "I urged them to follow the law and honor their agreements with Pennsylvania."

“As a result of that direct engagement, our funding is unfrozen. They are now following the law, and we will continue to press our case," Shapiro added.

The funding, according to the governor, will go toward cleaning the state's waterways and help farmers deal with runoff water leading into the Chesapeake Bay, in addition to repairing abandoned mines before they turn into sinkholes. The latter, per Shapiro, could also assist in creating new jobs.

“As governor, it’s my job to protect Pennsylvania’s interests — and I will use every tool at my disposal, from legal action to my direct engagement, to make sure Pennsylvanians are protected,” he stated.

Late last month, the president directed federal agencies to pause the disbursement of loans and grants while his administration conducted reviews on spending habits. Despite a judge ruling against the measure, the White House had seemingly moved forward with the freeze.

The win for the Keystone State comes as Trump's moves to cut down on government spending and overhaul the federal workforce have been under mounting scrutiny.

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