Boyle Statement on GAO Legal Opinion Finding Trump Administration Violated Impoundment Control Act

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, released the following statement after the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a legal opinion concluding that the Trump Administration violated the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 by illegally withholding funds for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program:

“This GAO decision confirms that the Trump Administration broke the law when it blocked funding that Congress had already approved. That money was supposed to build and maintain a nationwide EV charging network — and with it, create good-paying jobs in communities across the country.

Instead, the Administration stalled economic growth, delayed critical infrastructure, and undermined job creation — all without a shred of legal authority.

This wasn’t just a legal violation. It was an economic setback for American workers, and a direct hit to the communities counting on these investments. The Trump Administration didn’t just break the law — it shortchanged the American people.”

The NEVI Formula Program was created under the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 to help states expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure. GAO found that the administration’s decision to delay disbursement of these funds violated the Impoundment Control Act — a federal law that prohibits the executive branch from unilaterally blocking congressionally appropriated funding.

An impoundment explainer from Budget Committee Democrats is available here.

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