Georgia will not join the 24 states and Washington, D.C., that are suing the Trump administration to release $6 billion in promised federal education grants, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr said. 

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“Legally, whether you like or do not like the policy, the President has the authority to ensure that these federal funds are being spent lawfully,” he said in a statement provided to GPB News. “Like Governor Kemp, I will make sure that public education is fully funded in Georgia.”

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr speaks at a meeting of the Republican Women of Forsyth County, according to a March 13, 2024. Credit: Chris Carr campaign X account

The suit argues withholding the funds violates the Impoundment Act, governing how a president withholds funding. Meanwhile, Democratic U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath called for the release of the funds on the House floor Tuesday.

“Instead of being in your child’s classroom, your money is sitting in Washington, D.C., here because the Secretary of Education could not be bothered to meet a deadline that is the difference between a school having an after-school program or not,” McBath said. 

Georgia school districts were supposed to receive around $40 million from the U.S. Department of Education July 1 to pay for programs including after-school programs. Those funds are currently under review by the Department of Education and have not been released to states. 

This story comes to The Current GA through a reporting partnership with GPB News, a non-profit newsroom covering the state of Georgia.

Type of Story: News

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

Sarah Kallis covers state politics for Lawmakers. She joined GPB after working on politics and breaking news at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Sarah is an Atlanta native and a student at Georgia Tech....