From the VA Senate Democratic Caucus:
Virginia Senate Democrats Unite to Defend State Funded Universities from Federal Overreach as Republicans Remain Silent
Every Democratic Senator Signs Bipartisan Letter Supporting Higher Education Independence While GOP Colleagues, Including Those Representing University Districts, Refuse to Defend Their Own Institutions
RICHMOND, VA — Every member of the Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus has signed a letter to university Boards of Visitors defending Virginia’s 14 state-supported higher education institutions from unprecedented federal interference, while not a single Republican Senator joined the effort, including those who represent districts home to major state universities.
Today’s letter, signed by Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell and Senate Rules Committee Chairwoman and Senate Finance Education Subcommittee Chairwoman Mamie E. Locke, along with all Senate Democratic colleagues, calls on university governing boards to protect institutional independence and academic freedom in the face of the Trump administration’s systematic campaign to control and defund higher education.
“While Virginia’s universities face the most serious threat to their independence in generations, it’s telling that only Democratic Senators stepped up to defend them,” said Senator Scott Surovell. “Republican Senators who represent some of our most illustrious schools like College of William & Mary, University of Mary Washington, Virginia Tech, James Madison University, and other institutions have chosen political loyalty over protecting the very universities that drive economic growth in their own districts.”
Department of Justice investigations into George Mason University
The Trump administration’s political interference in Virginia’s public higher education system has reached a disturbing new low. After pressuring University of Virginia President Jim Ryan into resigning following a baseless federal probe, they have now set their sights on George Mason University President Dr. Gregory Washington, the university’s first African American president. The administration is weaponizing the Department of Education to attack diversity efforts under the guise of investigating unfounded claims of racism on campus. This coordinated assault is not about protecting civil rights, it’s about dismantling public education as we know it. Even former Republican Congressman and former GMU Board of Visitors member Tom Davis told The Roanoke Times that investigators probably won’t find anything and warned that his Republican colleagues are “playing with fire.” Virginians won’t sit back while the Trump administration turns our public institutions into political battlegrounds.
Virginia Universities Already Suffering Under Federal Attacks
The letter comes as Virginia’s research universities have already lost more than $165 million in federal research funding under Trump administration cuts, with over 142 federal research grants terminated or issued stop-work orders across the Commonwealth. The University of Virginia alone has lost nearly $85 million in research funding, while Virginia Tech and VCU have also faced significant cuts. Recent federal actions targeting Virginia institutions include:
- $300 million in health-related funding cuts affecting UVA, Virginia Tech, VCU, and state health agencies.
- Termination of critical research projects including autism studies, cancer research, and national security programs.
- Threats to accreditation that could jeopardize federal student aid eligibility.
- Investigations targeting diversity programs and international student policies.
Nationwide Pattern of Federal Overreach
The Trump administration has weaponized federal funding to force universities nationwide to comply with political demands, cutting billions from institutions including Harvard University ($9 billion threatened), Columbia University ($400 million cut), Cornell University ($1 billion frozen), and dozens of others. These unprecedented actions go far beyond traditional oversight, with experts calling it “the most serious crisis in American higher education’s existence” and an effort to “reshape postsecondary education for years to come.”
“This isn’t about legitimate oversight – it’s about using federal power to silence dissent and control academic inquiry,” said Senator Mamie E. Locke. “Virginia’s universities serve all Virginians regardless of party, and they deserve defenders from both sides of the aisle.”
Republican Silence on University Attacks
Notably absent from the letter are Republican Senators representing districts with major state universities, including:
- University of William & Mary and Christopher Newport University (Senator Danny Diggs, Senate District 24)
- University of Mary Washington (Senator Tara Durant, Senate District 27)
- Virginia Tech (Senator David Suetterlein, Senate District 4)
- Radford University (Senator T. Travis Hackworth, Senate District 5)
“When federal bureaucrats threaten the independence of Virginia’s crown jewel institutions, where are the Republican voices?” asked Senator Surovell. “These universities are economic engines for their communities. Yet, Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, Attorney General Jason Miyares, and their representatives in the Senate are nowhere to be found when they need defenders most.”
Standing with Virginia’s Future
Senate Democrats emphasized that defending higher education independence isn’t about partisan politics, it’s about protecting Virginia’s economic future and the opportunities these institutions provide to hundreds of thousands of students.
“We’re standing up for the researchers working to cure cancer and autism, the students seeking pathways to opportunity, and the communities that depend on these institutions as economic anchors,”said Senator Locke. “Virginia’s universities have served this Commonwealth with distinction for generations. They deserve better than partisan attacks and political indifference.”
The letter concludes by calling on university leaders to join lawmakers in “upholding Virginia’s tradition of educational self-governance” and ensuring that “Virginia’s universities and colleges continue to provide world-class education, conduct groundbreaking research, and serve as beacons of opportunity for generations of Virginians to come.”
