Rep. Magaziner opposes Trump Admin’s decision to withhold billions in federal education funding

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Representative Seth Magaziner criticized the Trump Administration’s decision to withhold over $6 billion in federal education funding at a press conference on Wednesday.

Local education leaders joined Magaziner at the event, which focused on how Rhode Island would lose 17% of its K-12 education funding, which totals $30 million.

The decision would impact funding for after school programs, summer school programs, grants to train and hire teachers, English language programs for multilingual students, and adult literacy programs.

Magaziner added that the Trump Administration did not provide a “clear explanation” as to why there will be billions of dollars in cuts.

At Wednesday’s press conference, Magaziner encouraged Rhode Islanders to vocally oppose the decision.

“Yes, the legal avenue can be effective, the legislative is harder but we do everything we can, but we’ve learned, most of all, is that the most effective way to push back is this, is raising the public awareness, and that has led in the past, in some cases, to funding being restored,” Magaziner said. “You know we’ve had a lot of success in getting Rhode Island’s infrastructure funding, like for the Washington Bridge and for 95 restored, etcetera etcetera, and so the public part of it is so really key to the strategy of how we get this funding back.”

The funding pause will also impact $108 million in education funds for Massachusetts.

According to ABC News, the Department of Education will review the funding, but will not distribute the funding to the states on its normal date of July 1.