On July 1, 2025, Nebraska Senator Pete Ricketts voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which passed 50-50 with the Vice President's tie-breaking vote, so it would have failed without him. The law took back transportation grants that communities had already been awarded but not yet signed: Transportation for America counted up to $4.7 billion in competitive grants promised to existing, awarded grantees.
Ricketts also voted to confirm Sean Duffy as Secretary of Transportation and Russell Vought as budget director. Through May 2026 the Transportation Department had not signed a single full-funding grant agreement for a new metro, light rail, or bus rapid transit line, and Vought's budget office was stonewalling $4.9 billion that Congress has appropriated for new transit lines, Transportation for America found. Duffy's department also froze the national EV-charger program's money for every state, Nebraska included, until a court ruled the freeze unlawful.
Pete Ricketts's Votes and Confirmations on Roads, Transit and Local Transportation Grants
- Ricketts Cast a Deciding Vote to Take Back Billions in Awarded Local Transportation Grants in July 2025. On July 1, 2025, Pete Ricketts voted yes on H.R. 1, which passed 50-50 with the Vice President's tie-breaking vote, so it would have failed without his vote. The law rescinded unobligated Inflation Reduction Act transportation grants, about $2.4 billion of funding that was awarded, promised, and written up in press releases for neighborhood projects, plus low-carbon road materials money, leaving more than $1.85 billion to be rescinded, and clean bus and truck grants, leaving around $454 million to be rescinded, according to Transportation for America. The Government Accountability Office found that In July 2025, Congress rescinded $6.4 billion of the three agencies' unobligated climate and infrastructure funds at EPA, Interior and Transportation.
- Ricketts Voted to Confirm Sean Duffy, Whose Transportation Department Stalled New Transit Lines and Froze EV-Charger Money. On January 28, 2025, Ricketts voted to confirm Sean Duffy as Secretary of Transportation, and later voted to confirm his deputy Steven Bradbury (roll call 113) and transit chief Marc Molinaro (roll call 499). Through May 2026, USDOT has not signed a single full-funding grant agreement for a new metro, light rail, or bus rapid transit line since January 2025, Transportation for America found, a delay borne by the riders who have to wait for new or expanded transit service; in July 2026 Duffy proposed to Congress, "We propose eliminating the Mass Transit Account" of the Highway Trust Fund. In February 2025 the Federal Highway Administration suspended approval of state NEVI Plans and stopped new obligations of funding under the NEVI Program, the national EV-charger program, until a federal judge ruled in January 2026 that the department had unlawfully suspended charging infrastructure funding starting February 2025. The Government Accountability Office found that DOT reported that $370.6 million in IIJA funds expired on October 1, 2025 while the department reviewed awards.
- Ricketts Voted to Confirm Russell Vought, Whose Budget Office Held Back Money Congress Provided for New Transit Lines. On February 6, 2025, Ricketts voted to confirm Russell Vought as director of the Office of Management and Budget. Transportation for America found that Congress has now appropriated nearly $6 billion for advancing these transit projects and that OMB is stonewalling $4.9 billion that Congress has appropriated.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pete Ricketts on Infrastructure
What is Pete Ricketts's record on infrastructure and transportation under Trump?
Pete Ricketts cast one of the 50 votes that passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which took back up to $4.7 billion in competitive grants communities had already been awarded. He voted to confirm Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, whose department signed no new transit grant agreements through mid-2026 and froze EV-charger money until a court ruled the freeze unlawful, and budget director Russell Vought, whose office held back $4.9 billion for new transit lines.
Did Pete Ricketts vote to take back money for local transportation projects?
Yes. Pete Ricketts voted for the 2025 law that rescinded the unobligated balances of the Neighborhood Access and Equity grants, the low-carbon road materials program and the clean heavy-duty vehicle grants. The Government Accountability Office counted $6.4 billion in unobligated climate and infrastructure funds rescinded across three agencies.
What happened to the EV charger program under the officials Pete Ricketts confirmed?
Pete Ricketts voted to confirm Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on January 28, 2025 (roll call 21). His department froze the EV-charger program's money for every state, Nebraska included, in February 2025, and resumed new obligations only after issuing new program guidance in August 2025, which rescinds previous guidance and policy that is not required by clear and express statutory language.
Last updated: 2026-10-25