AGs prevent $184 million cut to AmeriCorps service programs
SEATTLE – More than $21 million in funding for AmeriCorps service and volunteer programs in Washington has been secured as a result of a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Nick Brown and a multistate coalition.
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) agreed Thursday to release over $184 million in funding for AmeriCorps service programs across the country, including $2.4 million designated for Washington for fiscal year 2025. OMB’s attempted cuts threatened the survival of those programs and the well-being of those who depend on them.
On July 23, Brown joined a coalition in filing an amended lawsuit challenging OMB’s attempt to gut AmeriCorps programs. This week, when their response for these actions was due in court, OMB and AmeriCorps instead agreed to fully release the previously withheld funds.
“It is great news that Washington state prevailed in this case and freed up millions of dollars to continue this public service lifeline,” Brown said. “Communities throughout Washington depend on the hard work of AmeriCorps volunteers—whether they’re staffing food banks, mentoring kids, or helping home-bound seniors.”
In Washington, the resolution of the lawsuit restores a total of more than $21 million for fiscal years 2024 and 2025 for Serve Washington, Washington’s service commission that manages grants funding AmeriCorps volunteers. The grants support volunteers to perform work such as helping communities prepare for disasters, rehabilitating low-income housing, planting trees, and assisting veterans and those transitioning from the military.
On April 29, the coalition challenged the administration’s plans to eliminate nearly 90% of AmeriCorps’ workforce, abruptly cancel its contracts, and close $400 million worth of AmeriCorps-supported programs. In June, the court granted a preliminary injunction that reinstated hundreds of AmeriCorps programs and barred AmeriCorps from making similar cuts without formal rulemaking. Despite the order, OMB continued to withhold over $184 million intended for service programs, including AmeriCorps Seniors programs, and many programs funded with highly competitive federal grants.
Because the Trump administration withheld these critical resources, the coalition filed an amended lawsuit in July that added OMB as a defendant, and a motion for a preliminary injunction on August 8. The Trump administration’s response was due this week. Rather than oppose the states’ motion, the administration instead said OMB would release all withheld AmeriCorps funds, totaling over $184 million, which AmeriCorps will distribute to programs nationwide, as quickly as possible.
This relief means that service programs across the country will be protected from the administration’s devastating attempted cuts. AmeriCorps supports national and state community service programs by funding and placing volunteers in local and national organizations that address critical community needs.
Brown was joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai‛i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin, and the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania in filing the lawsuit.
Read more about the lawsuit here.
A copy of the defendants’ consent motion to stay the briefing schedule is available here.
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