A group of 10 GOP senators penned a letter to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on Wednesday condemning a pause in funding for after-school and summer activities that has thrown schools and programs into chaos.
The Republicans urged OMB Director Russell Vought to resume the $6 billion in funding, saying the pause, which is also the subject of a Democratic-backed lawsuit, will “harm students, families and local economies.”
The letter says the funding pause goes against the Trump administration’s directive to send education back to the states.
“This funding goes directly to state and local districts, where local leaders decide how the funding is spent, because as we know, local communities know how to best serve students and families,” the letter reads.
It was signed by GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Susan Collins (Maine), Mitch McConnell (Ky.), Mike Rounds (S.D.), Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.), John Boozman (Ark.), Katie Britt (Ala.), Deb Fischer (Neb.), John Hoeven (N.D.) and Jim Justice (W.Va.).
The Trump administration said it has held these funds due to concerns the money is going to “woke” or left-wing agendas.
While the senators say they “share” the administration’s fears of “taxpayer money going to fund radical left-wing programs,” they protest the idea that this funding is part of such efforts.
“These funds go to support programs that enjoy longstanding, bipartisan support,” the Republicans said, highlighting how the money goes toward children’s programs while parents work and adult learners attend educational programs.
The senators said they believe they and the White House “share the same goal” and encouraged a reversal of the decision.
The Hill has reached out to the OMB for comment.
The letter comes after two dozen Democratic states sued the administration over the pause as schools and other groups weigh if they will have to limit services or completely shut down certain programs without this funding.
“We have summer camps rolling right now. I’m depending on a reimbursement in July. … If we don’t get that, we have kids who won’t be served,” Kim Evans, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Augusta in Georgia, previously told The Hill.
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