| Trump just announced plans to kill a $7 billion program Bernie created to deliver solar to low-income Americans.1 The only chance Vermonters have to benefit from this program is if Vermont challenges that outrageous move in court – but given Gov. Scott’s recent actions, we have every reason to believe his administration could undercut a challenge by Vermont’s Attorney General. >> Write Gov. Scott and urge him to support any attempt by Attorney General Charity Clark to protect Vermonters’ access to Bernie’s Solar for All program. Don’t believe me that Gov. Scott might let Trump steal funding for this program from Vermont? It would be part of a pattern that’s emerged in Gov. Scott’s administration of late. Last week, we let you know about the governor proudly standing with Trump’s EPA administrator, Lee Zeldin – seemingly oblivious to the fact that just days earlier Zeldin and Trump had launched a broadside attack2 on the federal government’s ability to reduce carbon pollution. Shortly before that, news broke that Gov. Scott chose to voluntarily share the private data of tens of thousands of Vermonters3 who have received benefits through the SNAP food assistance program with the Trump Administration, despite Attorney General Charity Clark making clear she wanted to join twenty other states in challenging the legality of Trump’s demands in order to protect Vermonters’ privacy. And last month, we helped uncover the fact that Gov. Scott’s Administration also undermined the AG’s lawsuit to protect $20 million in funding for EV charging infrastructure, resulting in Vermont being one of the only states challenging that illegal move to be left out of a court order requiring those funds be returned.4 Now, the Trump Administration has announced plans to kill Solar For All, the program Bernie Sanders got passed to provide hundreds of thousands of low-income families access to solar and the savings it provides. Thousands of Vermont families would benefit from this program, and Vermont legally received nearly $63 million to implement it here. Now, the only way that money benefits Vermonters is if the AG successfully sues the Trump Administration to block their illegal move. But given the Scott Administration’s actions on the SNAP program and EV charging funds, there’s a very real possibility that Gov. Scott could undermine an attempt by the AG to defend Vermont’s access to these funds – and Vermonters’ ability to benefit from them. |
Will Gov. Scott undermine Vermont’s chance to stop Trump’s attack on Solar for All?
