Washington, D.C. – A broad coalition of AmeriCorps grantees has had its funding restored following a reversal by the Trump-Vance administration. The reversal follows an expanded lawsuit by AmeriCorps grantees, service members, and the AmeriCorps Employees Union AFSCME Local 2027 challenging the administration’s withholding of hundreds of millions of dollars by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Without this funding, programs providing tutoring, disaster relief, and public health support would have been forced to either cut back services or shut down completely.
“The release of this funding is yet another win for our clients, who are holding the Trump-Vance administration accountable for its relentless assault on the American people and the values at the core of our democracy,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “AmeriCorps has a proven track record of supporting and improving communities across our nation, and is a beacon for the good that the people of our country can do when working together. We are honored to work with our partners and brave plaintiffs to defend against the Trump-Vance administration’s efforts to gut America’s premier national service agency.”
“This is an important victory for communities across the country that rely on the work of AmeriCorps and their partner organizations,” said Amb. Norm Eisen (ret.), executive chair of Democracy Defenders Fund. “OMB’s withholding of funds for FY 2025 would have devastated many of our plaintiffs who undertake these crucial programs–OMB’s reversal is an implicit acknowledgement that withholding those funds would be both unethical and illegal.”
“AmeriCorps programs provide exceptional return on investment for taxpayers, and we’re thrilled our clients and other AmeriCorps partner organizations will be able to continue their work. We look forward to continuing to fight for our clients’ ability to provide that return.” said Abbe Lowell, founding member at Lowell & Associates.
“We’re thrilled that more federal funding is finally being released to AmeriCorps. Our members who work for the agency look forward to continuing our collective mission to strengthen America’s communities and ensure no working family gets left behind, as we also continue our efforts for the agency to have the staff it needs to succeed,” said Kelly Daly, president of the AmeriCorps Employees Union, AFSCME Local 2027.
Plaintiffs in the case, represented by Democracy Forward, Democracy Defenders Fund, and Lowell & Associates, include AmeriCorps Employees Union AFSCME Local 2027, Aspire Afterschool, Bur Oak Land Trust, Democracy Maine, Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center, Elev8 Baltimore, HandsOn Suburban Chicago, Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey, Michigan College Access Network, National College Attainment Network, North Carolina Housing Coalition, Partners for Campus-Community Engagement, Rainbow Labs, Red Cloud Indian School, Seed Coalition, The Corps Network, and The Service Collaborative of WNY.
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Democracy Forward Foundation is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.
Democracy Defenders Fund brings together a nonpartisan team to work with national, state and local allies across the country to defend in real-time the foundations of our democracy.
Lowell & Associates, PLLC provides strategic and principled legal
representation across civil, criminal, compliance, congressional and regulatory matters. The firm brings a deep understanding of both the law and the broader context in which our clients operate, serving individuals, businesses and institutions that value experienced counsel and effective advocacy in today’s legal environment.