Trump’s Criminal Regime Goes After Electric School Bus Money

We’re supposed to be a nation of laws, built on a Constitution that gives Congress the power of the purse. But when an agency decides to intentionally wipe its feet on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law just to keep schools hooked on diesel and propane, they’re showing utter contempt for the rule of law.

Right now, there’s roughly $2.3 billion left in the Clean School Bus Program. Congress explicitly wrote the law to require that at least 50 percent of this funding goes toward zero-emission vehicles. But on February 19th, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin decided the actual text of the law just doesn’t matter. The agency canceled the 2024 rebate round and is actively pivoting the remaining 2026 funds away from battery electric buses.

Instead, they put out a Request for Information pushing to fund buses that run on propane, liquified natural gas, and hydrogen (For the record, nobody even makes a hydrogen school bus yet). The comment period ends on April 6th.

Criminal Regime? Really?

Yes, really. I know some of our remaining red-hatted readers might call me out for calling this move “criminal,” but bear with me for a bit.

I’m not talking about a crime you go to jail for, but a fundamental crime against our constitutional system. Sure, violating the Administrative Procedures Act and usurping Congress isn’t a felony in and of itself (absent something like bribery), but what the Trump Regime has done is far worse than some administrative question of interpretation.

When the executive branch intentionally ignores a statutory mandate to protect a legacy energy monopoly, they’re acting like outlaws in suits. Congress wrote the check for zero-emission tech, and the Trump EPA is trying to cash it for the fossil fuel industry. That level of disrespect for the law is a racket, plain and simple. It’s a far greater crime, at least if you care at all about the rule of law and the Constitution.

The Motive

To understand why they’re doing this, you have to look at the business model. If a school district buys a battery electric bus and puts up a solar canopy, they’re buying the fishing pole. They make a capital investment, and then they harvest their own energy locally. They gain actual energy independence.

Legacy energy companies are terrified of that. They want the “selling fish” model. They want school districts forced to buy a consumable product every single week just to keep the buses running. The EPA’s push for propane and diesel is specifically designed to strip that independence away. They’re using federal power to force local school boards to stay tethered to fossil fuel giants.

Lawsuits Are Essential, But Nowhere Near Enough

This blatant overreach will inevitably end up in federal court. School districts, environmental groups, and more will file lawsuits as soon as possible. These lawsuits are essential, and they’ll almost definitely secure an injunction against this lawlessness.

It’s also essential that we make our voices heard in the process. The public comment period for this ridiculous rule change ends on April 6, 2026, so make sure you go to the EPA’s website and tell them exactly what you think about their statutory heist.

But we also have to stop pretending this is just normal administrative politics. It’s an intentional hijacking of the rule of law to protect a monopoly. The taxpayers are getting robbed of their investment in innovation, and the kids are going to be forced to keep breathing exhaust fumes. 

What we really need to demand here is impeachment and removal from office, followed by criminal prosecutions. Things are looking terrible for Republicans in the midterms, and Democrats seem likely to take control of Congress. We must hold their feet to the fire next year and demand that they seek justice instead of pivoting to the 2028 election and asking us to open our wallets.

Unless Democrats seek actual justice on this and the other items in Trump’s long train of abuses and usurpations that aim to reduce the U.S. to despotism, we shouldn’t keep mindlessly supporting them. They need to earn our votes in 2027.

Featured image by Thomas Built Buses.