Attorney General Hilgers Joins Amicus Brief Supporting EPA’s Claw Back of Environmental Grants

LINCOLN— Attorney General Mike Hilgers announced that Nebraska has joined a West Virginia–led amicus brief filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, supporting the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to rescind improperly awarded grants under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The brief urges the court to reverse a district court injunction and allow EPA to carry out its statutory and constitutional duties to ensure responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. 

“The era of federal agencies giving away massive amounts of taxpayer dollars to unvetted and unqualified grant recipients must end,” said Attorney General Hilgers. “The EPA is absolutely correct to claw back these funds, and to help stop the fraud and abuse that has become embedded in many of our federal spending programs.”

The brief explains that Congress required EPA to award Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grants on a competitive basis and consistent with statutory objectives. According to the states, the Biden-Harris Administration departed from those requirements by funneling enormous sums to poorly vetted recipients under a structure designed to evade oversight, leaving current leadership no lawful choice but to terminate and reassess the grants.

The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office remains committed to defending the rule of law, safeguarding taxpayer resources, and ensuring that federal programs operate transparently and within constitutional bounds. By joining this brief, Nebraska stands with other states in insisting that federal climate spending comply with the limits set by Congress and the Constitution.

Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming joined West Virginia in the brief.