The Republican-controlled House of Michigan cut $645 million in government spending last week, targeting initiatives generally supported by Democrats. The move followed Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s (D) request to extend $2.7 billion in unspent funds beyond the fiscal year.
House Speaker Matt Hall (R) stated: “We had the opportunity using this law to cut more spending before Whitmer was able to put it into her slush funds.” He accused Whitmer and Democratic officials of requesting “a lot more money than they need” for discretionary, long-term purposes.
The largest reduction came from Whitmer’s Make It in Michigan Competitiveness Fund, with $159 million eliminated. Nearly $103 million was cut from Community Enhancement Grants that had supported diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Additional cuts included a $1.2 million program supplying feminine hygiene products in public restrooms, some of which were in boys’ bathrooms, and funding for electric vehicle charging stations along Lake Michigan.
Hall indicated funds could be restored through a supplemental budget and challenged Whitmer’s administration to justify each allocation. Democratic leaders have suggested they may pursue legal action to challenge the cuts.
Michigan’s actions reflect a broader pattern of recent reductions to programs associated with progressive politics. Earlier this year, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that approximately 83 percent of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) contracts – roughly 5,200 out of 6,200 – would be terminated or shifted to the State Department. Rubio noted many eliminated contracts “spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve, and in some cases even harmed, the core national interests of the United States.”
