U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand held a virtual press conference Thursday demanding that the Trump administration release $7 billion in federal funding for schools nationwide. The administration is currently withholding the resources, which fund before- and after-school programs, professional development for teachers, STEM education, accelerated learning courses, college and career counseling, and school-based mental health services.

Last year, this federal funding amounted to 13.5% of total K-12 funding for New York. Gillibrand sent a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon and OMB Director Russell Vought demanding answers on how long the administration plans to withhold this funding and when, if ever, they will release it.

“President Trump is once again playing games with our kids’ futures,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The funds he is withholding go toward commonsense programs that help our kids thrive in school and prepare to get good-paying jobs in the future. They pay for before- and after-school programs that let parents stay in the workforce and professional development programs that make sure teachers are using cutting-edge strategies to reach students. Losing this funding will be catastrophic for our schools, our kids, and our families. The Trump administration must release these funds immediately.”

Among others, the following grant programs are having their disbursements withheld by the Trump administration:

— Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants, which support professional development and other activities to improve the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders, including reducing class size. New York State received almost $126 million from this grant program last year.

— 21st Century Community Learning Centers, which support high-quality before- and after-school programs focused on providing academic enrichment opportunities for students. New York State received over $102 million from this grant program last year.

— Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants, which provide flexible funding for school districts for a wide range of activities, including supporting STEM education, accelerated learning courses, college and career counseling, school-based mental health services, and improving school technology, among many others. New York State received over $107 million from this grant program last year.

The letter was also signed by Democrats Sen. Chuck Schumer and Reps. Nydia Velázquez, Hakeem Jeffries, Adriano Espaillat, Dan Goldman, Paul Tonko, Yvette Clarke, Jerry Nadler, Grace Meng, George Latimer, Gregory Meeks, John Mannion, Josh Riley, Joe Morelle, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ritchie Torres, Pat Ryan, and Tom Suozzi.