$177 billion in U.S. grants cut or frozen, analysis says

By the Editorial Team · Thursday, September 17, 2026

An analysis by nonprofit groups found that up to $177 billion in federal grants have been cut, frozen, or delayed across all states since the start of President Trump's second term, with significant impacts on health, nutrition, environmental, and disaster relief programs. This funding disruption, representing nearly 10% of federal discretionary spending, highlights the broad and unprecedented scale of grant interruptions, prompting ongoing legal challenges and efforts to track these changes through the Lost Funds database.

Since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, up to $177 billion in federal grants have been cut, frozen, or delayed across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, according to an analysis released Wednesday by a nonprofit and a research coalition. The funding interruptions span various sectors, with the largest reductions affecting health, nutrition, environmental programs, and disaster relief efforts.

The tracking tool, named Lost Funds, was developed by the States United Democracy Center and Grant Witness to catalog and quantify disruptions in federal grant funding during the Trump administration. The analysis found that the affected grants include programs supporting maternal health initiatives in Michigan, education research in Mississippi, and assistance for minority farmers in Iowa. States such as California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and North Carolina experienced the greatest amounts of interrupted grant money.

The $177 billion figure corresponds to nearly 10% of federal discretionary spending, highlighting the scale of the funding changes that go beyond typical adjustments during a transition between administrations. “By bringing thousands of funding disruptions from the Trump administration together in a publicly accessible, verified database, Lost Funds puts the magnitude of their impact on full display,” said Scott Delaney, co-founder of Grant Witness.

Kelly Rader, research director at States United Democracy Center, said the data “shows the extraordinary scale and real human impact of these disruptions, and how states are once again on the front lines protecting their residents.” Some of the administration’s grant funding cuts have faced legal challenges, with courts ruling against certain reductions.

The Lost Funds tracker is based on data from USASpending.gov, a publicly accessible federal spending database, and will be updated regularly as new information emerges and litigation proceeds. States United Democracy Center describes itself as a nonpartisan organization focused on upholding the rule of law and ensuring fair and secure elections. It was co-founded by attorney Norm Eisen, known for legal actions against the Trump administration, though he departed the group in 2021. Grant Witness is a coalition of scientists, researchers, and attorneys monitoring changes in government funding under the current administration.

Efforts to obtain comment from the White House on the analysis were not immediately successful.

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