WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- In a letter to state education leaders, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said the Department of Education would no longer fund COVID-era grants. Gov. Jeff Landry orders hiring freeze for state government to save $20M “Extending deadlines for COVID-related g rants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department’s priorities,” McMahon said in the letter. Because of the letter, several state Departments of Education said they would lose money — some of it already spent, waiting to be reimbursed. Maryland’s Department of Education said it could lose $400 million, Michigan’s is at risk of losing $40 million, and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said his state had $85 million taken away. “COVID is over. States and school districts can no longer claim they are spending their emergency pandemic funds on ‘COVID relief’ when there are numerous documented examples of misuse,” said Madi Biedermann, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications for the Department of Education. “The Department will consider extensions on an individual project-specific basis where it can be demonstrated that funds are being used to directly mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on student learning.” House Democrats met with McMahon at the Department of Education on Wednesday. “No matter what nice words they may put on it, at the end of the day, it feels like they're going to take our kids' money,” Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) said after the meeting. Democrats asked about President Donald Trump’s plan to close the Department of Education. They said Sec. McMahon told them the Small Business Administration could handle student loans. But they said they’re worried about who would handle the Civil Rights complaints and programs for students with disabilities if the department closed. Sec. McMahon appeared at the Democrats’ press conference after the meeting. “Funding from the United States government will continue through the programs that have already been established,” she said. McMahon promised to keep an open dialogue with lawmakers. Biedermann’s full statement is below: “COVID is over. States and school districts can no longer claim they are spending their emergency pandemic funds on ‘COVID relief’ when there are numerous documented examples of misuse. The Biden Administration established an irresponsible precedent by extending the deadline for spending the COVID money far beyond the intended purpose of the funds, and it is past time for the money to be returned to the people’s bank account. The Department will consider extensions on an individual project-specific basis where it can be demonstrated that funds are being used to directly mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on student learning.” ...read more read less