THAWED: Frozen Federal Funds Finally Free
Trump keeps playing games, the American people keep losing
In his second stint in the White House - yes, it’s true - Donald Trump is President again - DJT is moving quickly to wreak havoc on our nation’s institutions in order to bend them to his will. All of this is to the liking of the Heritage Foundation and the Christian Nationalists who relentlessly clamor for American theocracy.
Part of the game is holding funds hostage until entities agree to whatever Trump demands.
In addition to gutting key functions of the U.S. Department of Education, Trump was also withholding billions in funds schools rely on.
Thankfully, some in Congress - mostly Democrats, but even some Republicans - urged Trump to reconsider this move.
And, state-level Democrats like North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear sued the Trump Administration to release the funds.
Sadly, despite Tennessee waiting on $118 million, Gov. Bill Lee just twiddled his thumbs and hoped his state’s schools would be fine.
The good news? Beshear and Jackson won, and the funds are now being released.
The Washington Post reports:
The Trump administration plans to release more than $5 billion in funding to public schools that it has withheld for nearly a month, a senior administration official said Friday, ending weeks of anxiety and uncertainty for school leaders who had said the freeze jeopardized programs and staffing for the upcoming academic year.
Why were the funds being held up?
The Office of Management and Budget said it was investigating whether any of the grant money had in the past been used for a “radical left-wing agenda.”
The money “funds six grant programs related to English-language-learning programs, teacher training, support for children of migrant workers and academic enrichment activities.”
How pathetic that Gov. Bill Lee does not stand up for our state. He would rather bend the knee to trump than stand up for students and educators.