Rep. Summer Lee Leads Community Safety Caucus in Opposing Trump Administration Power Grab Over Federal Grants

Skip to content Close Home About Meet LaMonica Committees And Caucuses Our District Votes and Legislation Contact Email Me Newsletter Subscribe Office Locations Request An Appearance Media Press Releases In the News Press Kit Issues Education Environment Healthcare Housing LGBTQ+ Rights Reproductive Justice Small Business Transportation and Infrastructure Voting Rights Services Help With A Federal Agency Events Commendations And Greetings Appropriations Requests Flags Grant Applications Internships Military Academy Nominations Congressional App Challenge Poetry Contest Tours And Tickets Resources Close Mobile Site Search SEARCH Congresswoman LaMonica McIver About Meet LaMonica Committees And Caucuses Our District Votes and Legislation Contact Email Me Newsletter Subscribe Office Locations Request An Appearance Media Press Releases In the News Press Kit Issues Education Environment Healthcare Housing LGBTQ+ Rights Reproductive Justice Small Business Transportation and Infrastructure Voting Rights Services Help With A Federal Agency Events Commendations And Greetings Appropriations Requests Flags Grant Applications Internships Military Academy Nominations Congressional App Challenge Poetry Contest Tours And Tickets Resources Modal Search Button Mobile Site Search Submit Search MENU Facebook Logo Twitter Logo BlueSky Logo Youtube Logo Instagram Logo Home Media Press Releases July 20, 2026 Rep. Summer Lee Leads Community Safety Caucus in Opposing Trump Administration Power Grab Over Federal Grants Text of Letter (PDF) WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 14, 2026 — Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12), Congresswoman LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), and Congressman Gabe Amo (RI-1), co-chairs of the Congressional Community Safety Caucus, announced that they led a public comment letter opposing a sweeping Trump administration proposal that would give political leadership greater power to withhold, suspend, alter, or terminate federal grants. In a public comment letter submitted to Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, the lawmakers warned that the proposed rule would create dangerous instability for nonprofits, local governments, and other federal grantees—particularly community violence intervention programs that depend on reliable funding, long-term planning, and strong partnerships to prevent violence and save lives. The proposed changes would overhaul the Uniform Guidance, the government-wide rules governing federal grants, cooperative agreements, and other financial awards. Among other provisions, the proposal would: Give political leadership greater authority over federal funding decisions; Make it easier for agencies to suspend or terminate grants; Allow grant terms and conditions to be changed after work has already begun; Weaken protections and appeal options available to organizations facing funding disruptions; and Restrict certain publication, conference, training, and travel expenses without advance approval. For community violence intervention programs, those changes could threaten the stability of the entire violence prevention workforce. Organizations may struggle to retain outreach workers, violence interrupters, hospital responders, case managers, and other trusted frontline professionals if federal support becomes vulnerable to abrupt political interference. The restrictions could also make it more difficult for practitioners to participate in training, share research, evaluate programs, and learn from successful violence prevention efforts in other communities. “The proposed changes pose a significant financial risk and could create instability for federal grantees, including nonprofits, making it more difficult for them to serve their communities,” the lawmakers wrote. “The changes would be particularly damaging for community violence intervention (CVI) programs that depend on stable funding, long-term planning, and cross-sector partnerships.” The letter points to falling rates of violence in communities that have made sustained investments in prevention. Baltimore recently reached a historic low in homicides following the implementation of its Comprehensive Violence Prevention Plan. Chicago experienced a 21 percent decline in overall violent crime, a 32 percent decline in homicides, and a 37 percent decline in shootings in 2025—progress driven in significant part by community violence intervention programs. “The reduction in crime across the country is not an accident; instead, it is due to local governments and community leaders investing in and implementing strategies that work, such as CVI programs,” the lawmakers wrote. The lawmakers also raised concerns about the administration’s previous cuts to the Department of Justice’s Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative, the primary source of federal funding for CVI programs. Approximately half of the initiative’s funding was cut in April 2025, including $145 million supporting programs, training, and technical assistance an