McConnell joins GOP senators demanding release of frozen education funds

Beth Musgrave, Lexington Herald-Leader on Jul 18, 2025

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Kentucky U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell has joined nine other Republican senators asking President Donald Trump’s administration to release more than $6.8 billion in frozen federal education funding.

In a Wednesday letter to Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management of Budget, the senators asked the administration to unfreeze federal education funding U.S. Department of Education officials told states on June 30 was being withheld.

The money had already been appropriated by Congress, the letter said.

“The decision to withhold this funding is contrary to President Trump’s goal of returning K-12 education to the states,” the letter said. “This funding goes directly to states and local school districts, where local leaders decide how this funding is spent, because as we know, local communities know how to best serve students and families.”

In Kentucky, more than $87 million in federal funding for K-12 education has been withheld. The funding is for migrant education, after-school programs, professional development and English language learning.

In addition to money for K-12 education, Kentucky also lost $9 million for adult literacy and adult education, according to Democrat Gov. Andy Beshear, who recently joined a lawsuit with 23 other states over the federal government’s decision to withhold federal funding to the states.

In total, the state is waiting for $96 million in previously appropriated federal funds.

In its letter to state officials notifying them of the freeze, the U.S. Department of Education said the funding was being analyzed to determine if it aligned with Trump administration goals.

In the Wednesday letter, the GOP senators said the money was not being spent on left-wing ideology.

“These funds go to support program that enjoy longstanding, bipartisan support like after-school and summer programs that provide learning and enrichment opportunities for school aged children which also enables their parents to work and contribute to local economies,” the letter said.

The GOP letter comes a week after 32 senators and 150 House Democrats sent a similar demand to Vought and U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon. That letter also questioned why the administration waited so long to undertake the review when it knew school districts had built budgets with the expectation those federal funds would be provided.

Senators who signed the GOP letter include: Susan Collins of Maine, John Boozman of Arkansas, Katie Britt of Alabama, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Deb Fischer of Nebraska, John Hoeven of North Dakota, Jim Justice of West Virginia, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mike Rounds of South Dakota.