Oregon Sues to Stop Trump’s Surprise Education Grant Freeze That Could Paralyze Schools
Following the Trump administration’s unconstitutional, unlawful, and arbitrary freezing of $6.8 billion in education grants just weeks before the school year starts, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield joined a 21-member coalition of attorneys general seeking to prevent educational programs that are now at risk of being paralyzed.
Attorneys General Sue Trump Over Education Grant Freeze
Funding for six longstanding programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education will be affected by the Trump administration’s education grant block on June 30, after state agencies across the country received a notification announcing that the Department of Education would not be “obligating funds for” six formula funding programs on July 1. States have received these funds, without incident, for decades, including as recently as last year.
The Department of Education makes around 25% of the funds for these programs available to states on or about July 1 every year to permit state and local educational agencies to plan their budgets for the academic year ahead. The States have complied with the funding conditions, and the Department of Education has already approved the plans.
Local education agencies have approved budgets, developed staffing plans, and signed contracts to provide vital educational services under these grants. However, the latest funding freeze has thrown plans for the upcoming academic year into chaos.
Attorney General Rayfield said, “Oregon’s students shouldn’t pay the price for political games.”
The coalition argues that the halt to funding violates:
- Federal funding statutes and regulations that authorize these critical programs and appropriate funds for them,
- Federal statutes governing the federal budgeting process, including the Antideficiency Act and Impoundment Control Act,
- The constitutional separation of powers doctrine and the Presentment Clause.
The AGs have asked the court for declaratory relief and are also seeking an injunction.
Oregon schools are already paralyzed as evidenced by the abysmal ranking of the educational system. This is largely due to the worship and control of the teacher’s union who dictate what happens here. Losing money will not make it to be any different than it already is. Federal money is just more wasted money in the State of Oregon