Judge Quotes ‘The Simpsons' in Ruling Against Donald Trump
On Tuesday, District Judge Tana Lin granted a partial injunction to the states which sued the Department of Transportation over blocking the funds, and said that the states would likely succeed in their suit alleging that these were withheld illegally.
In her ruling, Lin quoted from the TV show, writing: "In a 1995 episode of The Simpsons, Homer must cut short a tearful goodbye with his long-lost mother after her traveling companions protest that their 'electric van only has minutes of juice left!'"
"Some 26 years later, Congress sought to address the phenomenon that has come to be known as 'range anxiety': the unease experienced by electric vehicle ("EV") drivers when they are unsure where the next charging station might be, and whether their car's battery has sufficient charge to get them there," she continued.
Newsweek has reached out to the Department of Transportation and The Federal Highway Administration via email for comment on Lin's ruling.
Earlier this year, the Department of Transportation suspended the nationwide EV charging program and ordered a halt on new programs until guidance was updated. Sixteen states along with the District of Columbia sued the administration over the decision, arguing that it did not have the authority to withhold funds previously approved by Congress, a claim now handed backing by the Seattle-based court.
Lin's ruling also follows further anti-EV actions by the Trump administration. Earlier this month, the president signed several resolutions aimed at dismantling California's efforts to promote the adoption of electric vehicles and phase out internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035.
The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program was a federal initiative included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed by then-President Joe Biden in November 2021. The NEVI program was set to allocate $5 billion over five years to various states for the development of a national electric vehicle charging network. According to AP, an estimated $3.3 billion of these funds had already been made available.
In February, however, the administration ordered states to stop spending money under the program, and halted new funding for EV charging stations. This led 16 states to sue the administration, arguing that it was illegally withholding the funds and that the freeze had halted some projects mid-progress.
On Tuesday, Lin said that the administration had overstepped its constitutional authority, and ordered that funding be released for 14 of the states involved in the lawsuit. However, she denied granting a preliminary injunction for D.C. Minnesota or Vermont, stating that they "did not proffer any evidence … that demonstrates the irreparable harm that would befall them absent injunctive relief."
U.S. District Judge Tana Lin, in her Tuesday ruling, wrote: "Although range anxiety, EV charging stations, and current DOT leadership's policy preferences lurk in the background of this case, the bedrock doctrines of separation of powers and agency accountability, as enshrined in Constitution and statute, are indifferent to subject matter and blind to personality.
"When the Executive Branch treads upon the will of the Legislative Branch, and when an administrative agency acts contrary to law, it is the Court's responsibility to remediate the situation and restore the balance of power. Such remediation and restoration are what the Court undertakes herein."
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, in a statement following the ruling, said: "The administration cannot dismiss programs illegally, like the bipartisan Electric Vehicle Infrastructure formula program, just so that the President's Big Oil friends can continue basking in record-breaking profits.
"We are pleased with today's order blocking the Administration's unconstitutional attempt to do so, and California looks forward to continuing to vigorously defend itself from this executive branch overreach."
Lin's ruling will take effect in seven days, on July 2, before which the Trump administration will be able to file an appeal.
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