From Preservation Action:

Last week, President Trump signed the Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking Executive Order. The new order requires agency heads to name a Trump administration appointee to review grant funding announcements and grant rewards and ensure they are consistent with administration priorities, the national interest and are coordinated across agencies. Specifically the order says grants must "demonstrably advance" the President's policy priorities and may not go toward programs based on race, that support transgender individuals, that facilitate illegal immigration or that otherwise compromise American values.

This order raises concerns over added bureaucracy to the federal grant process, overt politicization of the process, and undermines the agency staff who are the subject experts. A number of federal grants support historic preservation efforts including the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF)- which supports several grants- National Endowment of the Arts and Humanities (NEA/NEH) grants, and more. Congressionally appropriated funding for the HPF was delayed for months, before being released last month. Other grants that support preservation efforts are still being delayed or in some cases funding has been cancelled or reallocated. 

Preservation is concerned by the impact this order could have on grants that fund critical preservation priorities. We will continue to monitor the implementation of the order and potential impacts. Read the full executive order to learn more.