(Los Angeles) The Trump administration must unlock the billions of dollars intended for the construction of recharging stations for electric vehicles in fifteen US states, according to a federal judge.
Since February, the American Secretary of Transport has suspended the program intended to finance these infrastructure, endowed with five billion and voted in 2022 by the Congress within the framework of an emblematic law of the mandate of Joe Biden.
In May, several Democratic States led by California, which has the largest number of electric cars in the country, had challenged this blockage to justice.
In a judgment rendered on Tuesday, Judge Tana Lin has proved them right, believing that the Trump administration goes beyond its powers by freeze funding already allocated by the Congress.
“When the executive power encroaches on the will of the legislative power and a administrative agency acts unlike the law, it is the responsibility of the Court to remedy the situation and to restore the balance of powers,” she said in her decision.
Donald Trump, who has described the climate change as “hoax” several times, campaigned on his desire to drill oil at all times, and is a notorious critic of electric vehicles.
Since his return to power, the republican billionaire has abandoned the objective set by his predecessor, Joe Biden, to sell 50 % of electric cars in the United States by 2030.
It is also in the midst of a judicial show with California on the issue, after having signed a resolution voted by the congress intended to prevent the most populous state of the country from prohibiting the sale of new thermal vehicles in 2035.
Tuesday evening, the California Attorney General Rob Bonta praised the legal decision concerning the financing of the charging stations.
“It is not a secret for anyone that the Trump administration is indebted to the fossil fuels industry,” said the Democrat, believing that “the administration cannot illegally reject programs” of funding already voted like this.
The linen judge gave the Trump administration until July 2 to call or unlock the funding of these infrastructures in 14 states.
The magistrate is a part “of militant judges making absurd decisions because they do not like President Trump”, reacted a spokesperson for the transport department to AFP on Wednesday, without specifying if the government intends to appeal.
She assured that the government “works to reform the program” for financing electric charging stations, which, according to her, was “a disaster” under the Biden administration.
For its part, the Department of Justice replied that it had “no comments” concerning this case.
