Following Rep. Craig and Minnesota Democrats’ Push, Trump Administration Releases More than $70 Million in Congressionally Appropriated Funding to Minnesota Public Schools
EAGAN, MN – This week, following U.S. Representative Angie Craig and Minnesota Congressional Democrats’ push, the Trump Administration announced that they will be releasing more than $70 million in funding that had been illegally withheld from Minnesota public schools.
In a letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget Russel Vought earlier this month, Rep. Craig and her colleagues expressed their concern that the Administration had been withholding $74 million in previously appropriated funding from the State of Minnesota, local school districts and students. The letter was co-signed by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN), Rep. Betty McCollum (MN-04), Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05) and Rep. Kelly Morrison (MN-03).
“Our communities, schools, educators, and students in Minnesota and in every corner of the nation will suffer without these federal education investments, and they must be released immediately to ensure that our local leaders can best plan for the rapidly approaching 2025-2026 school year,” the Members wrote.
The federal dollars released this week will fund Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants (Title II-A), English Language Acquisition (Title III-A), Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (Title IV-A), 21st Century Community Learning Centers (Title IV-B), Migrant Education (Title I-C) and Adult Basic and Literacy Education State Grants.
Rep. Craig has long fought to protect education in Minnesota and across the country. She has been a fierce critic of the Administration’s efforts to defund and dismantle the Department of Education.
This Congress, she cosponsored the Department of Education Protection Act, which would prohibit Congressional funds from being used to fire agency workers or drastically alter the Department of Education without prior Congressional approval. She also led a joint resolution opposing cuts to the Department of Education and condemning any Congressional or Executive action that attempts to dismantle the Department.
And in May, she led 89 of her Congressional colleagues in blasting the Administration’s decision to eliminate critical Head Start programs that promote early childhood development and ease the burden of child care on working families.
In a show of support for Minnesota’s educators and in opposition to the Administration’s proposed cuts to education funding, Rep. Craig invited Education Minnesota President Denise Specht as her guest to this year’s State of the Union.
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