Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration over the White House withholding federal funds from schools that have a different COVID-19 policy.
According to the Arizona Republic, the lawsuit says “The governor’s office will not eliminate or change the (education) programs to conform to Treasury’s unlawful dictates”.
On Friday, Ducey stated, “In Arizona, our top priority is to get kids caught up, and we are using a wide range of resources to make that happen — including federal dollars allocated to our state”.
“Make no mistake, we will always support families and kids while protecting their right to choose an education that best fits their needs,” he added.
The Biden Administration previously told Arizona that it cannot withholding federal funding from schools with mask mandates or the department would potentially take back over $160 million in COVID relief money designated for schools.
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich threatened legal action if the administration’s threat was pushed. On Jan. 20, he published a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen after she threatened to withhold funds from the state over COVID-19 policies.
“Madam Secretary, the states created the federal government, not the other way around,” Brnovich stated.
“Unfortunately, members of the Biden administration have continuously ignored this fundamental principle of our great nation when proposing and enacting bureaucratic mandates and harmful regulations upon individual states,” he added.