Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) demanded the immediate release of federal funds for K-12 schools and adult literacy programs, in a letter sent Thursday to the Trump administration.
“We insist you immediately reverse your decision to illegally withhold federal education funding appropriated by Congress and provide the funds as the law requires,” wrote the senators.
On July 2, the Trump administration withheld $6 billion in already appropriated federal funding for extracurricular programs. According to the letter, many schools are going into a frenzy over how to fill a new and massive budget gap.
“These funds were made available by the bipartisan Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, signed into law on March 15, 2025. Yet, instead of supporting the tens of millions of students and adult learners intended to benefit from these investments, the administration has chosen to continue an unprecedented and opaque ‘programmatic review’ of these formula grant funds past the July 1, 2025, date these funds became available for allotment to states,” wrote the senators.
The letter was sent to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought and Education Secretary Linda McMahon. It was co-signed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and 25 others.
“This is an ongoing programmatic review of education funding. Initial findings show that many of these grant programs have been grossly misused to subsidize a radical leftwing agenda,” said spokesperson from the Office of Management and Budget in a statement to The Hill.
“In one case, NY public schools used English Language Acquisition funds to promote illegal immigrant advocacy organizations. In another, Washington state used funds to direct illegal immigrants towards scholarships intended for American students. In yet another, School Improvement funds were used to conduct a seminar on ‘queer resistance in the arts.’ As stated before, this is an ongoing programmatic review and no decisions have been made yet.”
The Department of Education has not immediately responded to requests for comment.
The withheld funding is part of a broader effort within the administration to dismantle the Department of Education, leave education to the states and cut all diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Jim Clark, the president of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, said the organization might have to halt its summer program midseason, according to the Associated Press. He added that after-school programs in the fall could be impacted.
This not only impacts children but also 1.2 million adult learners who are working to improve their reading and math levels to be able to participate in the economy, according to the letter. Moreover, after-school programs hit by a loss of funding will affect working parents, who depending on these programs for child care.
According to the senators’ letter, the Trump administration has blocked six major grants for education. Among those it cited are the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, which supports 1.4 million low-income students nationwide.
“These centers also help working parents by providing a safe and productive place for their children to be after the school day ends and during the summer months. It is beyond comprehension why the administration would want to jeopardize these outcomes,” reads the letter.
Also impacted, according to the letter, are the English Language Acquisition Grant, which helps students become proficient in English, and the Migrant Education grant supporting the needs of immigrant children.
