A group of Senate Republicans is now demanding President Donald Trump's administration immediately release billions of dollars in public education funding it recently froze without explanation.
In a letter sent Wednesday to White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought, the group of 10 Republicans requested that the K-12 education money that had already been approved by Congress be sent to states that are counting on that money for the coming economic year. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) — who is one of the 10 Republican signatories — posted the letter to X and urged the administration to promptly allow the money to be disbursed.
"The decision to withhold this funding is directly contrary to President Trump’s goal of returning K-12 education to the states. This funding goes directly to states and local school districts, where local leaders decide how this funding is spent, because as we know, local communities know how to best serve students and families," the letter read. "Withholding this funding denies states and communities the opportunity to pursue localized initiatives to support students and their families."
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"We share your concern about taxpayer money going to fund radical left-wing programs. However, we do not believe that is what's happening with these funds," the senators continued. "These funds go to support programs that enjoy longstanding, bipartisan support like after-school and summer programs that provide learning and enrichment opportunities for school aged children which also enables their parents to work and contribute to local economies."
The letter comes just weeks after the Department of Education notified states that roughly $6.8 billion in K-12 education funds would not be available for the coming academic year, offering only a vague explanation that the appropriations were "under review." Earlier this week, 22 Democratic state attorneys general sued the Trump administration over the withholding of the funds, along with the attorney general of Washington D.C. and the Democratic governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
"All of the staff, if the funds do not come in, then essentially their last day of work is September 7," Monterey County, California assistant superintendent Ernesto Vela told the New York Times.
In addition to Murkowski, the letter was signed by Sens. John Boozman (R-Ark.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), who all represent states Trump handily won in all three of his presidential campaigns with the exception of Maine. Vought has not yet officially responded to the senators' request.
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Click here to read the full text of the letter posted to Sen. Murkowski's X account.