Washington, DC – The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) released a new fact sheet detailing how a Trump administration proposal to overhaul federal grantmaking would give presidential appointees unprecedented political control over more than $1.1 trillion in annual federal funding.

Announced by Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought—a chief architect of Project 2025—the proposed rule closely mirrors recommendations in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 agenda, which calls for federal grant recipients to comply with conditions that “include the President’s priorities.”

The proposed rule gives agency directors – political appointees handpicked by the president – the power to approve or deny federal grants based on whether applicants align with the president’s ideology and priorities, rather than relying on established, evidence-based grantmaking criteria.

“This proposal would transform at least $1.1 trillion in taxpayer dollars into a political weapon that President Trump could use as leverage to force states and other organizations to conform to his extreme political agenda,” said Alison Gill, senior director of nominations and democracy at the National Women’s Law Center. “This rule would threaten vital funding for any states or organizations that serve immigrants, support abortion access, affirm trans people, or work to address racial and gender inequities. By conditioning federal grants on compliance with the administration’s ideological agenda, the rule advances a central goal of Project 2025: using executive power to reshape public institutions nationwide.”

The fact sheet outlines how the proposal could reshape federal funding across education, health care, workforce development and other programs that communities across the country rely on.

To schedule an interview with an NWLC expert about the proposed rule and its implications for federal funding, please contact Sydney Petersen at [email protected].

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