Trump illegally held up funding for Head Start preschool program, watchdog says
WASHINGTON – The Trump administration spent three months illegally holding up federal funding for Head Start, a preschool and early childhood education program that hundreds of thousands of low-income families rely on, according to an independent government watchdog.
The conclusion came in a July 23 decision from the Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan oversight group.
The GAO found that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees Head Start, broke the law by withholding previously approved funds for the program between January and mid-April. In doing so, the administration violated the Impoundment Control Act, which requires presidents to spend money allocated by Congress.
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HHS slashed Head Start's funding by more than $825 million compared to the same period last year, the GAO said, amounting to a 65% funding cut.
It's the third such violation uncovered by the watchdog since the start of President Donald Trump's second term in the White House in January.
In April, the Trump administration was considering zeroing out funding for Head Start altogether for the next fiscal year, USA TODAY first reported. After nationwide backlash and legal challenges, HHS reversed course on the budget proposal in May.
Read more: Dem AGs sue White House to counter cuts to Head Start, Medicaid for immigrants
Andrew Nixon, the chief spokesman for HHS, said the agency disputes the GAO's findings but did not explain why.
"HHS did not impound Head Start funds," he said in a statement to USA TODAY.
Despite the earlier issues, recent disbursements for Head Start have improved and are now comparable to the same time last year, said Yasmina Vinci, executive director for the National Head Start Association. In a statement, she did not comment directly on the GAO's impoundment accusations.
"We're grateful that so many are standing up for Head Start, recognizing the vital role it plays in communities across the country," she said.
Zachary Schermele is an education reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.
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