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Judge Quotes 'The Simpsons' in Ruling Against Donald Trump

A U.S. judge quoted from an episode of The Simpsons while ordering the Donald Trump administration to unfreeze billions of dollars in electric vehicle charger funding for 14 states.

On Tuesday, District Judge Tana Lin granted a partial injunction to the states which sued the Department of Transportation over blocking the funds, and said that the states would likely succeed in their suit alleging that these were withheld illegally.

In her ruling, Lin quoted from the TV show, writing: "In a 1995 episode of The Simpsons, Homer must cut short a tearful goodbye with his long-lost mother after her traveling companions protest that their 'electric van only has minutes of juice left!'"

"Some 26 years later, Congress sought to address the phenomenon that has come to be known as 'range anxiety': the unease experienced by electric vehicle ("EV") drivers when they are unsure where the next charging station might be, and whether their car's battery has sufficient charge to get them there," she continued.

Earlier this year, the Department of Transportation suspended the nationwide EV charging program and ordered a halt on new programs until guidance was updated. Sixteen states along with the District of Columbia sued the administration over the decision, arguing that it did not have the authority to withhold funds previously approved by Congress, a claim now handed backing by the Seattle-based court.

Lin's ruling also follows further anti-EV actions by the Trump administration. Earlier this month, the president signed several resolutions aimed at dismantling California's efforts to promote the adoption of electric vehicles and phase out internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035.

The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program was a federal initiative included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed by then-President Joe Biden in November 2021. The NEVI program was set to allocate $5 billion over five years to various states for the development of a national electric vehicle charging network. According to AP, an estimated $3.3 billion of these funds had already been made available.

In February, however, the administration ordered states to stop spending money under the program, and halted new funding for EV charging stations. This led 16 states to sue the administration, arguing that it was illegally withholding the funds and that the freeze had halted some projects mid-progress.

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Congress has the power of the purse, not Trump.