Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D., Texas) accused Republicans of scrutinizing a $2 billion Biden-era grant benefiting a nonprofit linked to Stacey Abrams for the purpose of keeping a "strong black woman down."
Crockett's comments came during a DOGE subcommittee hearing examining how nonprofits may abuse government funds in pursuit of far-left initiatives. And they came after several Republicans and hearing witnesses criticized the EPA climate grant—which was first revealed by the Washington Free Beacon—awarded to the Abrams-linked group Power Forward Communities in 2024. Crockett said that criticism is related to race and a potential third Abrams gubernatorial run in 2026.
"To hear the comments about Stacey Abrams really got me going," Crockett remarked during the Wednesday hearing. "A lot of times when we come into this hearing room, it's all about politics. And it made me think that there was an issue most likely with Stacey because someone actually brought up the fact that Stacey has run for governor a couple of times, and there's a gubernatorial race that's coming up in Georgia and nobody knows whether or not Stacey is going to run."
"So, why not muddy the waters if we can hopefully keep a strong black woman down?" she added. "But again, I digress."
The comments represent Democrats' latest attempt to defend the Biden administration's massive climate spending programs. Republicans have targeted the Power Forward Communities grant and others in their quest to curb spending and make the federal government more efficient, but have received pushback from Democrats who argue those grants are justifiable.
The Biden EPA announced in April 2024 that it would award Power Forward Communities the $2 billion grant to help provide electric zero-emissions appliances to poor communities. The group was established in October 2023 as a coalition of various groups led by Rewiring America, a left-wing environmental group where Abrams served as senior counsel and as a senior adviser between early 2023 and late last year.
But Power Forward Communities reported just $100 in revenue at the time of that EPA announcement and centered its grant application around an Abrams-led project in DeSoto, Georgia, where she delivered electric appliances to a few dozen households that had previously relied on natural gas-powered appliances. Biden EPA officials touted that project when announcing they would award the group the $2 billion grant.
Ian Magruder, the director of partnerships at Rewiring America, specifically credited Abrams for her work on the Power Forward Communities funding application. "Stacey Abrams played a pivotal role," he said.
"It's pretty eye opening that a brand new politically connected group got such a massive federal grant," Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R., Ga.), who chairs the subcommittee, said during Wednesday's hearing.
"Rewiring America hired Stacey Abrams, a twice-failed candidate for Georgia governor and well-known Democrat activist, even though she has little to no knowledge of energy policy," she continued. "The leader of Power Forward praised Abrams for playing a pivotal role in securing these billions."
Trump EPA administrator Lee Zeldin terminated the Power Forward Communities grant and others awarded under the agency's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund in March. The group, however, filed a federal lawsuit challenging that decision—the case remains ongoing.