Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Riley Moore (WV-02)
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Riley M. Moore is proud to announce that he and his team have recovered over $2 million for West Virginians since he took office on January 3, 2025.
The Congressman’s casework team is based in the Morgantown and Martinsburg district offices. The staff are well-trained in dealing with the federal bureaucracy and stand ready to assist constituents who are having issues with any federal agency.
Some highlights of funding recovered for constituents include:
• Over $1,000,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture • Over $900,000 from the Internal Revenue Service • Over $320,000 from the Social Security Administration • Over $25,000 from the Department of Veterans Affairs • Over $20,000 from the Department of Defense • Over $12,500 from the Office of Personnel Management
Congressman Moore issued the following statement:
“My office is eager to help constituents of the Second District in dealing with the frustrations of the federal bureaucracy. I’m so proud of the work we’re doing and am thrilled to report this massive figure only six months into my term.
“I make sure to tell everyone in the district that if they’re having an issue with the federal government — don’t wait, call us! We are here to help.”
NEED HELP? Constituents can request assistance by calling Congressman Moore’s team in Morgantown (304-350-6995) or Martinsburg (304-350-6987).
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas)
Rep. Estes Joins the John Whitmer Show to Talk One Big, Beautiful Law
U.S. Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas) joined the John Whitmer Show to talk about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) after President Donald Trump signed it into law on Friday, July 4th.
Rep. Estes spoke about how the historic legislation stopped Kansans and Americans from facing a 22% tax increase. With this historic legislation, Kansans will now pay an average of $10,900 less in taxes. Additionally, Rep. Estes spoke about the economic growth, innovation and border security that will result from the OBBB. Listen to the interview here and read interview highlights below.
On tax relief:
“When you look at the bill … Kansans and Americans would have faced a 22% tax increase next year if this bill hadn’t passed. And for Kansas, it averaged about $2,200 just for next year. And if you look at over the course of the next five years, it had been over $10,000, almost $11,000 in extra taxes that Kansans won’t have to pay. At the same time, we’re projecting that their salaries are going to go up because of the economic growth out of that. We wanted to avoid the largest tax increase in history. At the same time, we’re focusing on, how do we help people? We doubled the standard deduction so people would have more money in their pocket afterwards. We increased the child tax credit.”
On American innovation: “One of the things that I’ve been a champion of is innovation and new ideas. And we did tax teams, 10 different tax teams, over the last couple of years as we’ve talked about some of the provisions that we ought to put into that. And I chaired the innovation tax team trying to focus on research and development. How do we come up with some of these great ideas and innovative ideas that the United States has always been known for?
“So what happened was when the TCJA was passed, it was a temporary period of time where during the first year, all of your research and development costs could be written off of your taxes. And since then, that expired in 2022. So now people are having to write this off over five years, which means if you have to spend the money this year, but you can’t write it off with your taxes over a five-year period, you’re not going to be able to do as much investment. That’s what we’ve seen in that.
“When we passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, research and development spending went up 18%. And that’s great for jobs because three-fourths of that spending is for jobs. And it works well in actually growing the economy. We want to make sure that that comes back so that we can make that permanent going forward, companies can make more investment in the United States in research, which ultimately leads to more manufacturing jobs, actually to a stronger America.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)
Dingell Statement on Passage of Reconciliation Bill
Washington, July 3, 2025
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) released the following statement on the House passage of Republicans’ reconciliation bill.
“Why would anyone vote for this big bad bill? It is one of the most consequential, devastating, dangerous bills Congress has passed in recent history. It is going to rip health care away from 17 million people, make the biggest cuts to food assistance ever, and ensure the poorest Americans get poorer while the richest get even richer. People will die, children will go hungry, and working Americans will struggle even more to make ends meet, all so Republicans can give another tax break to billionaires. My Republican colleagues have betrayed and abandoned the vulnerable Americans who the government is supposed to serve. This is a complete and total failure. The American people know this is wrong, overwhelmingly disagree with it, and will not forget those who chose to vote for this cruelty.”
Nationwide, among many other provisions, this bill will:
Kick 17 million people off their health care and make premiums, deductibles, and copays soar for millions more: The bill cuts more than $1 trillion from health care, including the largest Medicaid cut ever, and will cause a $500 billion cut to Medicare. More than 50,000 people will die directly because of these cuts.
Cut services and risk closures for hospitals and nursing homes: Under the bill, as many as 300 hospitals, especially those in rural areas, will have to cut services and staff – if not close completely. One in four nursing homes are expected to close.
Make the largest cut to nutritional assistance ever: The bill cuts SNAP by 20 percent, while forcing states to cover more of SNAP’s cost – which could lead to dozens of states eliminating SNAP entirely. Red tape requirements will cause 5 million people to lose food assistance and put tens of millions of kids at risk of losing school breakfast and lunch.
Increase energy costs: The bill includes devastating cuts to cheap, clean energy sources including wind and solar that will cause families to pay an average of $400 more per year for their utilities. Seniors and low-income people will also have an even harder time getting assistance to pay their energy bills. And it makes us more dependent on foreign oil.
Kill more than a million jobs: The bill includes devastating cuts to clean energy will cost more than 840,000 jobs in just the next 5 years and an additional 790,000 jobs over the next 10 years.
Weaken our public schools and make higher education more expensive: The bill creates a permanent, unlimited tax credit for private school vouchers that undermine our public schools and attacks protections for student borrowers.
Make dangerous weapons cheaper: The bill eliminates taxes on silencers, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns – which have been in place since 1934 – flooding our streets with more dangerous weapons and devices that make shootings deadlier.
Add $4 trillion to the debt: This includes $700 billion in interest payments alone. It will cause our debt to rise to as much as 128% of our GDP by 2034, threatening to bankrupt our country and mortgaging our children’s futures.
Does all of this to give almost a trillion dollars of tax cuts to the top 1%: This bill is a reverse Robin Hood — transferring money from the poorest to the wealthiest. People making over $1 million will have an average tax cut of at least $80,000 a year while the bottom 20% of families will see their taxes rise.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)
Washington, DC — Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, issued the following joint statement in response to the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) issuing areport that finds the Department of Energy (DOE) is not in compliance with required reporting to help ensure transparency in spending.
“This GAO report exposes a troubling failure by the Department of Energy to meet even the most basic budgeting responsibilities. Nearly a decade after Congress required forward-looking energy planning, DOE still hasn’t delivered — and now the Trump administration wants to do away with this basic good government requirement altogether. With nearly $50 Billion in taxpayer funds at stake, this lack of accountability is unacceptable. At a time of fierce global competition, we can’t afford a Department flying blind. DOE must stop stonewalling and immediately implement GAO’s recommendations — as mandated by law — to deliver the transparency, accountability, and planning the American people deserve and that this administration has promised but routinely failed to deliver.”
The fiscal year 2012 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act required the Secretary of Energy to submit a future-years energy program (FYEP) alongside DOE’s annual budget justifications, starting with the fiscal year 2014 request and continuing each year thereafter.
However, GAO found that DOE has failed to fully comply with this statutory requirement, offering no justification for its ongoing noncompliance. The Department’s FYEP submissions have been incomplete and inconsistent, and it lacks both a finalized strategic plan and the necessary budgeting processes to generate accurate estimates.
Congress mandated this investigation in the fiscal year 2024 Energy and Water Development bill. In a striking acknowledgment of this failure, the Trump administration’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposal attempts to eliminate the reporting requirement altogether — undermining its own claims of promoting efficiency and exposing a broader disregard for transparency and fiscal accountability.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has awarded Wytheville Community College, based in Wytheville, Virginia, a $466,274 TRIO grant. The funding supports opportunities for academic development and successful completion of college. U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:
“Southwest Virginia communities benefit from education opportunities at local community colleges.
“This TRIO grant for $466,274 helps Wytheville Community College support students in their educational pursuits at the institution.”
Federal TRIO Programs are Federal outreach and student services programs designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.
This grant is provided through the TRIO Student Support Services grant program. According to the ED website, funds from these grants are awarded to institutions of higher education to provide opportunities for academic development, assist students with basic college requirements, and to motivate students towards the successful completion of their postsecondary education.
In 2024, Congressman Griffith met with TRIO students from Virginia’s Ninth District.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has awarded Virginia Highlands Community College, based in Abingdon, Virginia, a $445,963 TRIO grant. The funding supports opportunities for academic development and successful completion of college. U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:
“Southwest Virginia communities benefit from education opportunities at local community colleges.
“This TRIO grant for $445,963 helps Virginia Highlands Community College support students in their educational pursuits at the institution.”
Federal TRIO Programs are Federal outreach and student services programs designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.
This grant is provided through the TRIO Student Support Services grant program. According to the ED website, funds from these grants are awarded to institutions of higher education to provide opportunities for academic development, assist students with basic college requirements, and to motivate students towards the successful completion of their postsecondary education.
In 2024, Congressman Griffith met with TRIO students from Virginia’s Ninth District.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has awarded Mountain Empire Community College, based in Wise County, Virginia, a $358,413 TRIO grant. The funding supports opportunities for academic development and successful completion of college. U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:
“Southwest Virginia communities benefit from education opportunities at local community colleges.
“This TRIO grant for $358,413 helps Mountain Empire Community College support students in their educational pursuits at the institution.”
Federal TRIO Programs are Federal outreach and student services programs designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.
This grant is provided through the TRIO Student Support Services grant program. According to the ED website, funds from these grants are awarded to institutions of higher education to provide opportunities for academic development, assist students with basic college requirements, and to motivate students towards the successful completion of their postsecondary education.
In 2024, Congressman Griffith met with TRIO students in DC, some of whom came from Virginia’s Ninth District.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)
TAMPA, Fla. – Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) called on U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to immediately reinstate Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Gordon following his abrupt removal from the Department of Justice. Gordon had been leading the prosecution of Leo Govoni, a St. Petersburg man accused of stealing over $100 million from medical trust funds meant to help individuals with disabilities, injured workers and retirees across Florida.
“These funds—managed by nonprofits Govoni helped found—were systematically siphoned into shell companies and fraudulent investment vehicles, allegedly to support his lavish personal lifestyle. Victims were blindsided when their accounts were drained, leaving them without the resources they relied on for housing, therapy, medication, and basic dignity,” wrote Castor. “The victims of Govoni’s alleged fraud number in the thousands—each with painful and personal stories. Mr. Gordon’s removal places this case, and their hope for accountability, in jeopardy.”
Castor closed, “I respectfully request that you stand up for the victims of the Govoni crimes, reinstate Mr. Gordon immediately and allow the prosecution of Leo Govoni to proceed unimpeded. The victims deserve closure, and the public deserves a justice system free from intimidation and partisan retribution.”
Castor’s letter also raises concerns about Gordon’s dismissal as potential political retaliation for previously prosecuting January 6 insurrection cases. Castor calls the firings of Gordon and other career prosecutors “a deep stain of callous disregard for the U.S. Constitution and rule of law… These actions appear petty and vindictive, aimed at punishing those who upheld the rule of law.”
The Trump Administration’s action to remove a prosecutor in charge of holding a serial fraudster accountable for preying on vulnerable Floridians runs contrary to his claims of rooting out waste, fraud and abuse in health care and across the federal government.
I urge you to reconsider the recent dismissal of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Gordon from the Department of Justice. His removal—documented in your June 27 memo—comes at a pivotal moment in the federal prosecution of St. Petersburg fraudster Leo Govoni, who stands accused of orchestrating one of the largest fraud schemes in Florida’s recent history. The timing and circumstances of Mr. Gordon’s termination raise serious concerns about political retribution and threaten to derail justice for victims who have already suffered for far too long.
Mr. Govoni is charged with embezzling over $100 million from medical trust funds intended to safeguard the long-term care of vulnerable individuals, including individuals with disabilities, injured workers, and retirees across Florida. These funds—managed by nonprofits Govoni helped found—were systematically siphoned into shell companies and fraudulent investment vehicles, allegedly to support his lavish personal lifestyle. Victims were blindsided when their accounts were drained, leaving them without the resources they relied on for housing, therapy, medication, and basic dignity
The harm inflicted is especially profound in the Tampa Bay area:
In St. Petersburg, Rebekah Bowman trusted Govoni with $800,000 from a settlement meant to care for her disabled son, Kienan Freeman, who requires lifelong support due to a severe seizure disorder. Govoni personally assured her the funds would be protected and grown. Instead, federal investigators found the account partially emptied, and the nonprofit declared bankruptcy. Rebekah shared: “He promised that he would take care of the money and help it grow… and then I shouldn’t have to worry about the money.” After watching Govoni remain free while her son’s care became uncertain, she said: “He gets to walk free and the rest of us still have to struggle.”
In Tampa, Melissa Beck witnessed her father, Thomas Hancock, denied chemotherapy despite having over $347,000 in a Medicare Set-Aside account Govoni’s nonprofit claimed to manage. Hancock, permanently disabled after a fall in 2007, died on May 16, 2025, from complications of cancer and COPD. Melissa discovered the alleged theft only after his death and now seeks justice. She said: “My feeling is this man killed my father… My father could’ve gotten treatment. Maybe he could have survived?” And added: “There’s no amount of money that is going to bring my dad back… but my dad deserves justice, and I will fight until my last breath to get it.”
The victims of Govoni’s alleged fraud number in the thousands—each with painful and personal stories. Mr. Gordon’s removal places this case, and their hope for accountability, in jeopardy.
Equally alarming is the dismissal of a highly regarded Department of Justice prosecutor for purely politically vindictive reasons. Mr. Gordon previously served as senior trial counsel for the Capitol Siege Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. His team prosecuted individuals involved in the January 6 violent insurrection, during which nearly 140 police officers were injured, suffering broken bones, burns, and blunt trauma. Officer Brian Sicknick died from strokes after being assaulted; four others died by suicide in the aftermath. Rioters committed serious crimes, including:
Assaulting law enforcement officers with flagpoles, bear spray, and blunt weapons
Seditious conspiracy, as in the case of Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio
Obstruction of congressional proceedings
Destruction and theft of government property
Unlawful entry into restricted federal buildings, often while armed
As of January 20, 2025, 1,575 individuals were charged in connection with the attack. Yet on his first day back in office, in what is a deep stain of callous disregard for the U.S. Constitution and rule of law, President Trump pardoned over 1,500 convicted rioters, including violent offenders. He has since fired prosecutors and FBI agents who worked on these cases. Your dismissal of Mr. Gordon—alongside two other career prosecutors—marks the first time that non-probationary federal attorneys were removed for their role in these prosecutions. These actions appear petty and vindictive, aimed at punishing those who upheld the rule of law.
I respectfully request that you stand up for the victims of the Govoni crimes, reinstate Mr. Gordon immediately and allow the prosecution of Leo Govoni to proceed unimpeded. The victims deserve closure, and the public deserves a justice system free from intimidation and partisan retribution.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Julia Brownley (D-CA)
Washington, DC – This week, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA) joined Congressman Lou Correa (D-CA) and 21 House Democrats in pressing U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on the alarming actions of federal agents in California, including Ventura, Los Angeles, and Orange Counties. In a letter to Secretary Noem, the Members expressed deep concerns about the Trump Administration’s lack of transparency in the agency’s recent immigration enforcement operations and activities, including the detention of individuals with no criminal record. The letter strongly condemns the administration’s overreach and demands immediate transparency.
“President Trump initially promised to go after the worst of the worst in his immigration policy,” wrote the Members. “However the actions of this administration and your DHS show you are not interested in arresting dangerous criminals like murderers, rapists, and drug dealers. Instead, you are sending masked individuals who do not identify themselves as law enforcement to arrest college and high school students, restaurant workers, factory workers, and even American children.”
“This administration refuses to provide accurate details around what criminal record, if any, DHS components use to justify the arrest of an individual,” wrote the members.
A recent analysis by the Los Angeles Times found that 69% of individuals detained by ICE had no criminal convictions. In their letter, the Members demanded DHS to provide immediate and accurate information on their immigration enforcement activities, including:
A breakdown of criminal charges and convictions of people detained since January 20, 2025
Number of deported individuals and their criminal offenses
How many individuals have proven ties to gangs, foreign terrorist organizations, or criminal enterprises
DHS arrest policy
How agents and officers identify themselves when approaching an individual to detain
Arresting officers’ training
If arresting officers are federal agents.
Earlier this year, Brownley also contacted DHS to express concerns about ICE actions in the community, but ICE has thus far refused to answer questions or provide details on its operations. Brownley continues pressing the Trump administration to adhere to DHS’ mission and act “with honor and integrity to safeguard the American people, our homeland, and our values.”
The letter was also signed by Representatives Val Hoyle (D-OR), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson (D-GA), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Danny Davis (D-IL), Maxine Dexter (D-OR), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), John Garamendi (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Shri Thanedar (D-MI), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Raul Ruiz (D-CA), Andre Carson (D-IN), Darren Soto (D-FL), Eleanor Norton (D-DC), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX), Timothy Kennedy (D-NY), and Brittany Pettersen (D-CO).
The Honorable Kristi Noem Secretary Department of Homeland Security Washington, D.C. 20528
Secretary Noem:
We write to express serious concern with this administration’s chilling actions of rounding up and arresting individuals with no criminal history and doing so without the transparency as to why the individuals are being arrested. The lack of accountability and transparency from this administration is of grave concern to the citizens of this country. Not only are Members of Congress concerned with the lack of transparency, accountability, and its immigration actions, but the majority of the American people do not agree with this administration’s actions either.
President Trump initially promised to go after the worst of the worst in his immigration policy. Similarly, you recently went on Fox News and claimed you were going after the worst of the worst. However, the actions of this administration and your DHS show you are not focused on arresting dangerous criminals like murderers, rapists and drug dealers. Instead, you are sending masked individuals who do not identify themselves as law enforcement to arrest college and high school students, restaurant workers, factory workers, and even American children, some of whom have cancer which is beyond heartless. The scope of your enforcement activities has grown so large to include migrant workers and tourists with visas, that you are unable to effectively focus on arresting dangerous criminals, which makes our country less safe.
Even though President Trump has finally acknowledged his immigration policies are harming individuals and businesses, particularly farmers, and those in the hotel and leisure business which is further damaging our once strong economy – we fear this administration will not learn from their mistakes. White House officials have said they hope U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can scale up to 3,000 arrests a day, from approximately 660 during the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency. Since these numbers cannot be achieved without arresting non-criminals, it appears this administration will continue arresting hardworking individuals who pose no threat to our communities. It also appears this is why DHS has eliminated any transparency efforts regarding migrant arrests. For an administration that claims to be the most transparent in history, you have contributed to being the least transparent this country has ever seen.
This administration refuses to provide accurate data and details around what criminal record, if any, DHS components use to justify the arrest of an individual. After President Trump took office DHS stopped issuing detailed statistical reports on immigration enforcement, which makes it challenging to gauge the scope of your immigration crackdown.
Since your administration will not provide transparent data, we must piecemeal different data sources to get an accurate picture of DHS’s enforcement efforts. For example, we look at The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse – a project from Syracuse University that compiles immigration figures – which estimates that of the 51,302 people in ICE detention facilities as of June 1, about 44% had no criminal record aside from entering the US without permission. News outlets also report ICE detention statistics show the number of detainees arrested by ICE with no other criminal charges or convictions rose from about 860 in January to 7,800 this month – a more than 800% increase.
And if we look at recent events and updates from ICE, the unnecessary and harmful immigration raids in Los Angeles saw the immigration arrests of 118 people, which DHS said included five gang members. While the agency has identified a handful of people with criminal histories, due to DHS refusing to provide more transparent details of their actions, it’s unclear how many of the 118 individuals have criminal histories.
Sadly, this administration’s credibility is so badly damaged we cannot simply rely on the words coming from a DHS spokesperson or yourself that this administration is targeting the worst of the worst. The fact this administration has repeatedly misrepresented migrants’ criminal histories, lied to the American people by photoshopping gang tattoos on the body of individual they were illegally detaining, and having to reluctantly admit to clerical errors and software errors that resulted in arrests and deportations of migrants with no criminal history, we in Congress and the American people cannot trust the administration’s word that they are doing what they say. President Trump and his administration leadership have eroded the trust of the American people and Congress, and we must request all necessary pieces of information to get a truthful picture of your immigration enforcement activities.
Therefore, given these concerns we request the following information by July 18, 2025:
A breakdown of the criminal charges and convictions migrants that have been arrested and detained by a DHS component from January 20, 2025 to date.
Of these individuals how many have been deported since January? Please provide a breakdown of their criminal offenses by category.
How many of the individuals have been found by a court to have proven ties, not alleged ties without proof, to criminal enterprises, gangs, or Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO)?
What is the policy DHS components follow when deciding to arrest an individual? How are agents and officers deciding who to detain and arrest in public?
How are agents and officers identifying themselves when they approach an individual to detain and or arrest in the streets?
What type of training do arresting officers have?
Are the arresting officers federal agents?
Thank you for your attention to this matter. We must remind you of the DHS mission statement which is “With honor and integrity, we will safeguard the American people, our homeland, and our values.” It seems you have forgotten this, and we truly hope you reverse course and start leading with integrity and honor while working to keep us safe.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) led her colleagues in the Michigan Democratic delegation in sending a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon requesting answers about federally appropriated funds that have been withheld from school districts across the country, including over $156 million for Michigan.
These federal funds, used to support important K-12 programs and extracurricular activities, have historically been delivered to school districts by July 1 to ensure there is adequate time to plan before the beginning of the new school year.
“Despite having already been appropriated by Congress and enacted into law by President Trump when he signed the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 on March 15, 2025, funds for this year are now being withheld pending a review,” the lawmakers write. “The uncertainty surrounding the unprecedented withholding of these funds will force districts to make budgetary adjustments that will lead to larger class sizes due to reductions in staff, restrict access to before- and after-school programs, and will impact services provided to students with disabilities, to name a few consequences.”
“In past years, the funds were sent to Michigan by July 1 to ensure the districts had ample time to properly finance and plan for the upcoming school year,” the lawmakers continue. “With the funds being withheld, districts now face tremendous fiscal uncertainty, preventing them from being able to prepare for the programs, training, and services required for school educators and students alike. We, the undersigned members of the Michigan delegation, urge the Department of Education to release the appropriated funds to give school districts the certainty they need for the upcoming school year.”
“In Michigan, the withheld funds are expected to have a significant fiscal impact on school systems. The state relies on this funding to train teachers and administrators, provide high-quality digital learning opportunities for students living in rural communities, invest in assistive technology to educate students with disabilities, and support school-based mental health services, counseling, and systems and practices to prevent bullying and harassment,”the lawmakers conclude.“These robust programs are authorized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and are essential for students of all ages to supplement their learning and participate in to grow thoughtful and well-rounded students. Withholding the funds will weaken the state of public education in our state and quality of learners for our future.”
The lawmakers requested answers to the following questions:
Since the appropriated funds were enacted by President Trump and have been received by school districts by July 1st in previous years, when should states and school districts expect to receive these Congressionally appropriated funds?
How are federally funded public school districts expected to support their students, teachers, and staff without the expected funding budget at the start of the 2025-2026 school year?
What impacts do you expect funding delays to have on school districts, especially those in rural and underserved communities?
What is the reason the Department of Education and/or the Office of Management and Budget chose to delay the funds?
Are you abiding by federal regulations which mandate that federal agencies determine if a specific recipient’s grant should be terminated, notify grant recipients of the termination, and provide each recipient with an opportunity to object through an appeals process?
If not, please explain the process that the State of Michigan must go through to ensure proper and expected federal funding for their appropriated sum.
The letter is signed by Representatives Haley Stevens, Rashida Tlaib, Shri Thanedar, Hillary Scholten, and Kristen McDonald Rivet.