Energy Department terminates roughly $7.5B in awards amid shutdown pause
The Energy Department has terminated roughly $7.56 billion in awards, pausing or canceling funding for 223 projects across six DOE offices, with recipients given 30 days to appeal. The move is part of a broader administration shutdown strategy reported to aim to "maximize the pain," and administration officials — including Energy Secretary Chris Wright, OMB Director Russ Vought and President Trump — have framed the cuts as targeting Democratic "favorite" projects in states that voted for Vice President Harris and suggested the possibility of permanent cuts and firings.
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🔍 Key Facts
- The Energy Department terminated $7.56 billion in awards, affecting 223 projects.
- The canceled awards were issued by six DOE offices; funding recipients have 30 days to appeal the terminations.
- Administration officials (Energy Secretary Chris Wright and OMB Director Russ Vought) framed the actions on social media as targeting projects concentrated in 16 states that voted for Kamala Harris; the New York Times noted many paused or canceled funds were for projects in states with Democratic governors and senators.
- The DOE terminations are part of a broader administration push during the government shutdown to pause or cancel billions in previously approved funds.
- President Donald Trump, in an OAN interview clip released Oct. 2, said he could "permanently cut" Democratic "favorite projects," said there "could be firings," and described such cuts as his prerogative to remove projects he believes "never should have been approved."
- The White House is pursuing a shutdown strategy described by the New York Times as intending to "maximize the pain," including a prepared plan that could potentially lay off large numbers of civil servants.
📍 Contextual Background
- The United States federal government entered a partial shutdown on 2025-10-01 after the midnight funding deadline passed with Democrats and Republicans failing to agree on a funding bill.
- Russell Vought served as the Director (chief) of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
- OMB is the abbreviation for the Office of Management and Budget, an office within the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for assisting the President in preparing the federal budget and supervising its administration in executive agencies.
📰 Sources (4)
Here’s the latest.
New information:
- The White House and administration are pursuing a strategy to 'maximize the pain' of the shutdown, including a prepared plan to potentially lay off large numbers of civil servants.
- The NYT notes the Energy Department terminated more than $7.5 billion in awards, and that many of the paused/canceled funds were for projects in states with Democratic governors and senators.
- The article places the DOE terminations within a broader administration push to pause or cancel billions in approved funds during the shutdown.
Trump says he could cut ‘favorite projects’ of Democrats because of shutdown
New information:
- President Donald Trump explicitly told OAN he could "permanently cut" Democratic 'favorite projects' because of the shutdown.
- Trump said there "could be firings" tied to the shutdown and framed potential cuts as his prerogative to remove projects he believes "never should have been approved."
- The statement was given in an interview clip released Oct. 2, 2025 ahead of the full OAN interview.
The Energy Department canceled billions in funding. Democrats say it's retribution
New information:
- Precise dollar figure of terminated awards: $7.56 billion (vs. earlier rounded $8B)
- Specific project count: 223 projects affected
- Identification of the six DOE offices that issued the awards
- Detail that funding recipients have 30 days to appeal the terminations
- Direct quotes from Energy Secretary Chris Wright and OMB Director Russ Vought's social‑media framing claiming the projects were in 16 states that voted for Kamala Harris