Ken Paxton praised the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July 2025. The law rescinded transportation grant money that had been awarded but not yet obligated, which Transportation for America counts as up to $4.7 billion in competitive grants promised to existing, awarded grantees; GAO counts $6.4 billion in unobligated funds rescinded across three agencies.
In Transportation for America's data, Texas awards to cap I-35 in Austin, reconnect neighborhoods divided by highways in Dallas-Fort Worth, and fund a Houston project had none of their money obligated before the law took back unobligated balances.
Ken Paxton's Praise for the Law That Took Back Transportation Grants
- Paxton Praised the Law That Took Back About $2.4 Billion Awarded to Reconnect Neighborhoods Divided by Highways. Ken Paxton posted on July 1, 2025 that the Senate-passed bill was "One step closer to massive tax cuts," and on July 3, 2025 that "President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill is HISTORIC legislation." The law rescinded the unobligated balances of the Inflation Reduction Act's Neighborhood Access and Equity grants, which fund projects that reconnect neighborhoods cut apart by highways. Transportation for America found about $2.4 billion of funding that was awarded, promised, and written up in press releases now being clawed back; in April 2025 it had counted approximately $2.46 billion remaining unobligated across 60 projects. In its data, the City of Austin's $105,200,000 award for capping I-35 and the North Central Texas Council of Governments' $80,000,000 award for bridging highway divides in Dallas-Fort Worth had $0 obligated.
- The Law Paxton Praised Took Back About $454 Million for Clean Buses and Trucks. The law Ken Paxton praised rescinded the unobligated balance of the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles grants, which help transit agencies and school districts replace diesel buses and trucks with zero-emission vehicles. Transportation for America found the rescission leaves around $454 million to be rescinded from the program, money that had been promised to awarded grantees.
- The Law Paxton Praised Took Back More Than $1.85 Billion for Low-Carbon Road and Building Materials. The law Ken Paxton praised rescinded the unobligated balance of the Low-Carbon Transportation Materials grants, which help state transportation departments buy lower-carbon concrete and asphalt. Transportation for America found the law leaves more than $1.85 billion to be rescinded from the program.
- The Law Paxton Praised Ended the Tax Credit for Installing EV Chargers on June 30, 2026. The law Ken Paxton praised ends the 30C tax credit for installing electric vehicle charging equipment for property placed in service after June 30, 2026. Transportation for America noted that tax credits for the installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure will be eliminated under the law.
Texas Transportation Projects Exposed by the Law Ken Paxton Praised
- Awarded projects. Transportation for America's project data list four Texas awards with no money obligated: the City of Austin's $105,200,000 I-35 cap, the North Central Texas Council of Governments' $80,000,000 award, a City of Houston award of $43,438,830, and a City of El Paso award of $2,000,000.
- Austin's I-35 grant. In a memo to the Austin City Council, reported by KUT on August 8, 2025, the city's intergovernmental relations officer said the $105 million federal grant for parks on decks over I-35 had been rescinded after the grant was eliminated under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ken Paxton on Infrastructure
What is Ken Paxton's record on infrastructure under Trump?
Ken Paxton praised the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which took back transportation grants that had been awarded but not yet obligated, about $2.4 billion of it for projects that reconnect neighborhoods divided by highways. The law also took back about $454 million for clean buses and trucks and more than $1.85 billion for low-carbon materials, and ended the EV charger tax credit. Texas awards for Austin's I-35 cap and Dallas-Fort Worth highway projects had no money obligated in Transportation for America's data.
Did the One Big Beautiful Bill Act take money from Austin's I-35 cap project?
The law Ken Paxton praised rescinded awarded Neighborhood Access and Equity money that had not yet been obligated, and Transportation for America's data listed the City of Austin's I-35 award with $0 obligated. Transportation for America's project figures are as of its May 2025 update.
How much transportation money did the One Big Beautiful Bill Act take back?
The law that Ken Paxton called "HISTORIC legislation" rescinded up to $4.7 billion in competitive grants promised to existing, awarded grantees, according to Transportation for America. GAO counts $6.4 billion in unobligated Inflation Reduction Act funds rescinded in July 2025 across EPA, Interior and the Transportation Department.
Last updated: 2026-10-25