This story appeared in The Logoff, a each day publication that helps you keep knowledgeable concerning the Trump administration with out letting political information take over your life. Subscribe right here.
Welcome to The Logoff: As we speak, I’m specializing in the Trump administration’s choice to withhold practically $7 billion in federal schooling funding.
What simply occurred? The Trump administration refused to launch congressionally mandated funding to help a wide range of schooling initiatives: after-school and summer season packages, packages for college students who’re studying English, trainer coaching, classroom expertise, and extra.
The practically $7 billion was allotted to states and native faculties, and will have gone out on Tuesday. Its loss shall be notably dangerous as a result of faculty districts have already made plans with the belief that the cash could be there, solely to have it pulled on the final minute.
What’s the administration saying? The Trump administration argues the withholding isn’t a freeze and is as a substitute as a result of the funds are underneath evaluation. However this argument is probably going a fig leaf, given the administration’s opposition to the packages in query and its earlier efforts to withhold funding for packages it disagrees with. What the administration seems to be doing is named impoundment — the choice to not spend cash that Congress has already appropriated for a selected objective.
Can they try this? Not likely — however we’ll see how the courts rule, because the administration’s choice is sort of sure to be challenged in court docket. Although the president can request Congress withdraw funding — and making that request would set off a short lived freeze — the administration hasn’t finished so on this case.
What’s the large image right here? The Trump administration is waging a conflict towards the congressional energy of the purse, led by Workplace of Administration and Finances director Russ Vought (of Venture 2025 fame).
The choice to withhold schooling funding is certainly one of a lot of efforts to wrest spending energy from Congress, and latest reporting suggests the administration is contemplating methods to step up its assault and problem restrictions on impoundment extra broadly. If it’s profitable, it will likely be a significant enlargement of Trump’s powers — and one other blow to Congress’s.
And with that, it’s time to sign off…
I completely cherished this story from my colleague Bryan Walsh concerning the new Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, which simply final month shared its first pictures of the cosmos. The telescope itself is a scientific marvel that has already offered helpful knowledge to researchers, however, as Bryan factors out, it’s additionally the “final perspective supplier,” a reminder of our place in an unlimited, lovely universe. I hope you get pleasure from his piece — and the images — as a lot as I did, and I’ll see you again right here tomorrow!
