On July 4, 2026, the U.S. will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. This provides us with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reflect on the state of our nation, where we have been, and where we are going. Eleven years after the Declaration of Independence was signed, the U.S. Constitution established the framework for the federal government and became the supreme law of the land. The Preamble of the Constitution outlines the goals of the document, and the first of those goals is to establish a “more perfect union.”
But a look at recent policy changes illustrates a transition to a far less perfect union. In fact, there appears to be the evolution of two increasingly different worlds within the U.S., marked by widened disparities between states. Depending on state residency, access to healthcare, education, or economic opportunity can vary widely. In fact, depending on which state a person is born in, life expectancy can vary by more than 17 years. Practices like gerrymandering entrench one-sided politics by reducing electoral competition, perpetuating and growing the policy and cultural divide between states.
Recent developments in federal clean vehicle policy also contribute to this fragmentation. Under the current administration and Congress, numerous national policies supporting electric vehicles have been rolled back. The early termination of the federal clean vehicle tax credits eliminated the opportunity for all Americans to receive up to $7,500 off the cost of an electric vehicle. EV affordability now varies by state and relies on a patchwork of incentives, subject to states’ and utilities’ commitments and budgets.
Federal regulations requiring more fuel-efficient vehicles, limiting tailpipe emissions, and even recognizing climate change are being eliminated. Without these bedrock policies, the U.S. auto industry will lose important federal guardrails intended to drive innovation, protect consumers, and improve air quality and public health. The recent repeal of the Endangerment Finding, which codified that greenhouse gas emissions cause climate change and pose a threat to human health and property, may allow states to create their own regulations, adding to this patchwork of policies.
Recently, a troubling trend has emerged in which the federal government withholds or redirects funding from state projects based on states’ political leadership and voting record. While federal courts have ruled this type of action illegal, additional funding cuts targeting blue states continue to be announced.
Even the federal budget contributes to the increased fragmentation of the Union. The recently passed 2026 budget bill claws back over $500 million in National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) funding. The 2021 program, authorized by a bipartisan Congress, allocated $5 billion to build a national network of high-speed EV charging stations along interstate corridors. The clawbacks were structured so that states that moved more slowly in implementing their NEVI programs lost a greater share of their allocated funding.
Estimated NEVI rescissions by state
In practice, this will result in the Interstate Highway System facing increased disparity between states. For example, an EV driver might be cruising across the country, happily relying on NEVI chargers that meet minimum federal standards for size, safety, and reliability in Pennsylvania and Ohio, but upon entering Indiana, finds a charging desert because Congress clawed back over $24 million of Indiana’s NEVI funding.
As the map shows, the impacts of lost NEVI funding aren’t necessarily aligned with state politics, but driving an EV east or west across the country means crossing states that didn’t receive their full NEVI allocation and may not have EV charging stations every 50 miles. Many states rely on billions of dollars from tourism each year. As more drivers embark on EV road trips, the lack of a consistent, reliable interstate charging network may mean that some states miss out on tourist revenue from these travelers.
But this patchwork approach is more serious than just road trips. NEVI program funding was designed to be available to build out chargers in communities once interstate corridors were fully built out. Community charging is critical for instilling confidence in access to charging for urban drivers without home charging. For rural drivers, community charging is key for long commutes and trips in remote areas. Without access to federally subsidized public chargers, drivers may pay more, and charging may be less convenient. This may influence drivers’ decisions to drive electric and force them to rely on dirty, polluting gas cars, perpetuating their reliance on paying whatever the oil companies dictate at the pump.
EV infrastructure buildout is inevitable, but a uniform charging experience for all Americans is not. Last year, despite the Federal Highway Administration’s six-month freeze on NEVI funds, charging infrastructure has continued to expand through private investment. In 2025, nearly 115 new public EV charging ports came online every day. Market-driven solutions will continue to be installed where they are lucrative, but risk leaving lower-income and rural communities behind. This is why consistent federal policies and programs like NEVI are so important in creating consistency and equity across states.
Whether it is Medicaid expansion, immigration and sanctuary policies, or voting requirements, the lived experience of Americans, including health, education, environment, and life expectancy, depends far more on state residency than it has in the past. Eliminating NEVI funding in the 2026 budget will further fragment transportation and air quality in America. And this does not make for a more perfect union.
