07.18.25

Senator Murray Demands All Remaining Education Funds Blocked By Trump Get Released Immediately

 

Trump relents, finally releasing a fraction of withheld education funds while continuing to block $5.5 billion more

  

ICYMI: Senator Murray Blocks Fast-Track Consideration of Education Nominee as Trump Continues Blocking Nearly $7 Billion for Students & Schools Nationwide

  

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, called on President Trump to release every penny of the $5.5 billion in federal funding for K-12 schools and adult education programs he continues to block after his administration announced it was releasing one stream of the funding that it has now blocked for three weeks—which has sent after, before, and summer programs scrambling.

 

“Over the last few weeks, after school programs across the country have had to tell parents to make alternate plans as President Trump has blocked federal funding provided for them—and at this very moment, schools nationwide are crunching the numbers to figure out how many teachers they will need to lay off as Trump continues to hold up billions in funding. Adult literacy programs have had to lay off staff for no reason except the president felt like illegally blocking these funds.

“After we spoke up—and after weeks of needless chaos—the Trump administration is now releasing funding for after school programs while continuing to block billions more in funding for our students, teachers, and schools. Every penny of this funding must flow immediately. Whether or not parents know the afterschool program they depend on will exist should not depend on whether Republicans will push back against Trump’s lawlessness—he should simply get the funding out, just as the law requires him to do. I am going to keep pushing until every dollar goes.”

 

The Trump administration’s decision to withhold nearly $7 billion dollars in funding has sent school districts nationwide scrambling to determine how they could fill the, in many cases, massive budget hole and whether they’ll have to lay off teachers or end after school programs in the coming weeks. School districts have made clear they will have to end afterschool programs, already told parents to prepare backup options, and adult literacy programs have already been forced to lay off staff.

  

Today, the Trump administration is letting states know it will move but one slice of the funding after weeks of creating panic and stress for schools and families alike.

  

Here are the funding streams President Trump is still holding up—all of which are programs President Trump has requested to eliminate in his budget request, raising serious concerns about this administration’s intentions to simply impound the funding:

  

  • $2.19 billion: Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants (Title II-A), which support professional development and other activities to improve the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders, including reducing class size.
  • $1.33 billion: 21st Century Community Learning Centers (Title IV-B), which support high-quality before and after-school programs focused on providing academic enrichment opportunities for students. After holding up this stream of funding for three weeks, the Trump administration is expected to finally release it today. The rest remains blocked.
  • $1.38 billion: Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (Title IV-A), which provide flexible funding for school districts for a wide range of activities including supporting STEM education, accelerated learning courses, college and career counseling, school-based mental health services, and improving school technology, among many others.
  • $890 million: English Language Acquisition (Title III-A), which supports language instruction to help English language learners become proficient in English.
  • $376 million: Migrant Education (Title I-C), which supports the educational needs of migratory children, including children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers.
  • $715 million: Adult Basic and Literacy Education State Grants (including Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education State Grants), which support adult education and literacy programs to provide the basic skills to help prepare adults and out-of-school youth for success in the workforce.

  

These funds typically flow on July 1st of every year—but the Trump administration let states and stakeholders know on July 1st it would not be moving the funding. It failed to provide any rationale, with the Department of Education directing questions to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the administration still has not explained why the 21st Century Community Learning Centers funding was held up, why the rest of the funds still is, or when it will be released.

   

Senator Murray immediately called on Trump to release the funding, led her colleagues in demanding the funds flow, and just yesterday, objected to fast-track consideration of President Trump’s nominee to serve as Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Congressional Affairs at the Department of Education while the funding blockage continues.

  

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