Trump executive order seeks to freeze funds for domestic uranium contracts

President Donald Trump (R) on Monday ordered federal agencies to pause distribution of funds appropriated by his predecessor’s signature stimulus bills, including funds intended to jumpstart a domestic uranium refining industry.

“All agencies shall immediately pause the disbursement of funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-169) or the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58),” reads an executive order the White House titled “Unleashing American Energy.”

That would include contracts the Department of Energy awarded late in the administration of President Joe Biden (D) to domestically produce and stockpile both low-enriched uranium and high-assay low-enriched uranium. The latter is uranium enriched to about 19.75% Uranium-235 by mass, just below the threshold of what is considered highly enriched uranium by international standards.

Funds under the Biden-era stimulus bills will be unfrozen only if the director of the White House’s Office of Management and Budget and the director of the National Economic Council agree to unfreeze them, Trump’s order says.

The order also asks the secretary of the interior to consider adding uranium to the U.S.’ list of officially recognized critical minerals. 

Trump nominated Doug Burgum, a former North Dakota governor and businessman, to lead the Department of the Interior. The committee had not scheduled a vote on the nominee as of Tuesday. Burgman had his confirmation hearing last week in the committee.