Hirono Presses Trump Administration on Grant Review Process, Raises Alarms on Politically Motivated Delays

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR), pressed Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Kevin Lilly on his repeated failure to provide straightforward answers on the agency’s grant review process. In a letter to Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Lilly, Senator Hirono highlighted Lilly’s failure to provide clarifying follow-up on the grant review process, following his inability to answer Hirono’s questions on the matter at an ENR hearing held in June. “Your refusal to be forthcoming or provide any substantive information about activities that appear to be politically motivated raises serious concerns about the process that’s being applied,” wrote Senator Hirono. “Not only should these grants be awarded consistent with the Administration’s priorities, but also consistent with the law which is written by Congress.” During an ENR hearing on June 23, 2026, Senator Hirono asked Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Lilly about his review of grants totaling more than $50,000, specifically how many grants were awaiting his review and the sum of those grants. While Lilly was unable to answer during the hearing, he committed to providing the information in writing. Despite this pledge, Senator Hirono did not receive enlightening follow-up. Instead, Lilly’s response said: “As I said at my hearing, we take the opportunity to provide grants very seriously. The Department is working through a judicious and thorough review of all of these grants to ensure that they are awarded appropriately and consistent with the Administration’s priorities.” Senator Hirono highlighted the impact of Lilly’s incomplete follow-up and delayed grant review on the agency Lilly is responsible for running. “For decades the Department of the Interior has cultivated relationships with trusted partners to carry out projects that contribute to the Department’s mission—maintenance of trails, protection of wildlife, etc. Politically motivated delays in the administration of grants jeopardize that critical work from being completed and run the risk of ruining those relationships and the Department’s ability to execute its mission in the future,” wrote Senator Hirono. Senator Hirono also raised alarms about the consistent refusal from appointees across the Trump Administration to provide Congress with transparent information about the agencies Congress is constitutionally obligated to oversee. The full text of letter is available here and below. Dear Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Lilly: During your nomination hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on June 23, 2026, I asked you about your review of grants totaling more than $50,000. I asked you how many grants were awaiting your review and the sum of these grants. You did not have the information available at that time. Subsequently, I submitted the following questions for the record to allow you to access that information and provide it to me in writing: What are the criteria that you are using to review these grants? How many grants are currently awaiting your review? How much money do these backlogged grants total? What is the current average grant review timeline? What, if any, groups have expressed concern about delays in reviewing grants? Instead of answering these questions and providing transparency to Congress and the public about the Department’s handling of taxpayer dollars, you provided the following response: “As I said at my hearing, we take the opportunity to provide grants very seriously. The Department is working through a judicious and thorough review of all of these grants to ensure that they are awarded appropriately and consistent with the Administration’s priorities.” My question was not about the seriousness with which you approach grant administration. Your refusal to be forthcoming or provide any substantive information about activities that appear to be politically motivated raises serious concerns about the process that’s being applied. Not only should these grants be awarded consistent with the Administration’s priorities, but also consistent with the law which is written by Congress. As a nominee appearing before Congress, it is expected that you will answer questions to the best of your ability. Yet, it has become standard practice for Trump Administration officials appearing before Congress not to provide any information about what is going on at their agencies-agencies Congress is charged with overseeing. For decades the Department of the Interior has cultivated relationships with trusted partners to carry out projects that contribute to the Department’s mission—maintenance of trails, protection of wildlife, etc. Politically motivated delays in the administration of grants jeopardize that critical work from being completed and run the risk of ruining those relationships and the Department’s ability to execute its mission in the future. As you claim that you take opportunity to provide these grants very seriously, I expect you to provide my serious questions with very serious answers. Sincerely,