By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Ten Republican U.S. senators wrote a letter to President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday urging it to reverse its decision to withhold $6.8 billion in congressionally approved federal funding for K-12 schools. WHY IT’S IMPORTANT While Democrats have been critical of Trump’s move, Republican lawmakers have not often publicly disagreed […]
Politics
Ten Republican senators urge Trump to reverse school funding freeze
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By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Ten Republican U.S. senators wrote a letter to President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday urging it to reverse its decision to withhold $6.8 billion in congressionally approved federal funding for K-12 schools.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
While Democrats have been critical of Trump’s move, Republican lawmakers have not often publicly disagreed with the Republican president on policy issues or openly criticized his moves. The 10 Republicans who signed the letter included Senators Shelley Moore Capito, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Mitch McConnell.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration said it was withholding previously approved funding to schools during what the White House called an ongoing review process. A coalition of mostly Democratic-led states filed a lawsuit on Monday challenging the move.
The freeze extended to funding used to support the education of migrant farm workers and their children; recruitment and training of teachers; English proficiency learning; academic enrichment; and after-school and summer programs.
KEY QUOTES
“These funds go to support programs that enjoy longstanding, bipartisan support,” the lawmakers wrote to Russell Vought, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget.
The letter said the freeze contradicted Trump’s stated goal of “returning K-12 education to the states.”
It added: “We encourage you to reverse your decision and release this Congressionally-approved funding to states.
CONTEXT
The OMB said earlier this month there was an “ongoing programmatic review” of education funding and initial findings showed what it called the misuse of grant funds to “subsidize a radical leftwing agenda.”
OMB raised objections to grant money used to support scholarships for immigrant students and lessons that involved LGBT themes.
The Trump administration has threatened schools and colleges with withholding federal funds over issues like climate initiatives, transgender policies, pro-Palestinian protests against U.S. ally Israel’s war in Gaza and diversity, equity and inclusion practices.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)