President Trump Illegally Steals from Public Schools Across the Country

Acting Department of Education Secretary Russ Vought to Linda McMahon: Move aside, I’ll take it from here. 

WASHINGTON — House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) released the following statement on President Trump’s unlawful withholding of funds promised to K-12 schools across the United States. These resources are provided on July 1 each year to help school districts across the country plan, budget, and spend federal payments for the upcoming school year, but Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought has seized control of the Department of Education and is illegally blocking these taxpayer dollars from going to every state in the country.

“Public schools across the country are already stretched thin—class sizes have grown, and teachers remain overworked and underpaid. Instead of easing these concerns and working to ensure every child has access to a high-quality education, President Trump is actively working to kick teachers out of classrooms, end afterschool programs, and create uncertainty and chaos in schools in every corner of the United States. By illegally withholding nearly $7 billion promised to public schools, the Trump administration is furthering Republicans’ goal of eliminating public education.

“This move is the latest example of Russ Vought’s takeover of every agency in the federal government. Linda McMahon is no longer in charge of the Department of Education, directing all questions on this unlawful stealing of public school funds to Vought and the Office of Management and Budget. McMahon has handed the keys over to Vought, whose sole mission is to consolidate power for himself and dismantle Congress’s power of the purse. Make no mistake, this is a signal of what Vought plans to cut with his made-up theory of ‘pocket rescissions,’ better known as the line-item veto. As the courts have proven many times before, this move is unlawful.

“Americans are already suffering because of the Trump administration’s disregard for the law. Our children, parents, and public schools are owed this money that was sent to them with bipartisan support and signed into law by President Trump. McMahon must regain control of the Department of Education and release this funding immediately.”

The Trump administration is unlawfully withholding funding for the following education programs:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• English Language Acquisition (Title III-A), which supports language instruction to help English language learners become proficient in English.
• Migrant Education (Title I-C), which supports the educational needs of migratory children, including children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers.
• 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.

Suspecting the unlawful withholding of Department of Education resources, Ranking Member DeLauro, Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) sent a letter to Secretary Linda McMahon calling out the Department’s failure to provide public K-12 schools across the nation the timely notice they usually receive on this federal funding.

DeLauro and Murray later sent a letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought calling out the Trump administration’s unacceptable failure to submit detailed spend plans for each agency to the Appropriations Committees, as the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2025 requires by law. 

This move is simply the latest step in President Trump’s efforts to eliminate public education. Ranking Member DeLauro and the Litigation and Rapid Response Task Force led 192 House Democrats in filing an amicus brief challenging the Trump Administration’s efforts to close the Department of Education.

In total, the Trump administration is blocking nearly $7 billion in approved education funding from reaching states and school districts. A state-by-state breakdown of how much funding is at stake is below.

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