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U.S. Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C. 12) and 92 other House Democrats are calling on Republican leaders of the House Appropriations Committee to join their push to release more than $5.5 billion in federal education funding that remains withheld by the Trump administration, including more than $100 million owed to North Carolina schools.
In a letter sent Thursday to House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee Chair Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), the lawmakers urged the two Republicans to “pressure the Administration to release the funds Congress appropriated as soon as possible.”
“These funds, once redirected, cannot be recovered for student use,” the lawmakers wrote. “Even if funds are released immediately, damage has already been done.”
The funding includes more than $5 billion for K-12 schools and support for adult education programs. Without access to the money, the letter warns, school districts face “untenable” decisions and may cut support staff or taking on debt that diverts resources from instruction.
The July 24 letter follows an earlier July 10 request co-led by Adams and signed by 150 House members. The funds remain largely frozen despite weeks of pressure from lawmakers and education advocates.
Some money, however, has been released. This week, the U.S. Department of Education released $35 million funding for 21st Century Community Learning Centers, which support afterschool and summer programs, following bipartisan push for release of the funds. That money, part of a broader $165 million allotment in congressionally approved education funds for North Carolina, that was withheld by the Administration.
Attorney General Jeff Jackson and 24 other state attorneys general filed suit last week, accusing the administration of unlawfully withholding the funds.
U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross (NC-02) (Photo: House.gov) U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee (Photo: house.gov)Meanwhile, Wake County Public Schools, which is North Carolina’s largest school system, is slated to lose more than $8 million in federal funding. In a separate letter sent Wednesday to Education Secretary Linda McMahon, U.S. Reps. Deborah Ross, who represents the Raleigh area, and Valerie Foushee, who represents parts of the Triangle, warned that the delay is already disrupting hiring, stalling program planning, and harming students who rely on federally funded services.
Wake County’s pending funding includes grants for teacher support English language acquisition, and school safety and enrichment programs Ross and Foushee called the administration’s refusal to release the money “deeply harmful” and “unlawful.”
“These programs are not optional enhancements,” the lawmakers wrote. “They help districts recruit and retain high-quality teachers, serve students who are English learners, and provide critical services like mental health support, STEM enrichment, and school safety programs.”
Adams, who represents Charlotte and serves as ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, said in the letter that the funding delay is jeopardizing education for millions of students across the country.
“We implore you to join us, just as ten of your Republican Senate colleagues have, in demanding that OMB and the Department of Education immediately release these Congressionally-approved education funds,” the letter reads. “This request comes not only from us as Members of Congress, but on behalf of millions of students, and educators.
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