Cuts to Joint Office of Energy & Transportation

In 2025, the Trump administration's workforce actions effectively emptied the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, which Congress created in the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to coordinate the Departments of Energy and Transportation's work on electric vehicle charging and related programs. The office once had close to 50 employees. Because many were recent hires, the February 2025 terminations of probationary employees fell heavily on its staff, and others departed through two rounds of the deferred resignation program amid frozen projects and return-to-office mandates. As of May 1, 2025, the office had no employees left, with departing staff on administrative leave until their resignations took effect on September 30, 2025; its website no longer listed any leaders or staff, though fellows and contractors were expected to continue some projects from within the two departments. In February 2026, Congress rescinded $75 million in unobligated funds that had been appropriated to establish the office, redirecting the money to general highway programs.