This story was updated at 10:04 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 14 to include details of a proposed local law

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who represents St. Lawrence County in the 21st District, said she is seeking answers as to why the federal government is withholding funding for youth hunting and archery education.

In a letter authored by Stefanik, Education and the Workforce Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (NC-05) and Representative Richard Hudson (NC-09), the congress members say they are seeking answers why the Department of Education has decided to withhold Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) funds from hunting and archery education programs nationwide. The letter states that Stefanik and the other representatives are requesting a reversal of their action.

The move comes on the heels after St. Lawrence County legislators approved a resolution to host a public hearing to pass a local law that would allow youth hunters ages 12 and 13 to hunting big game with a rifle or crossbow if proper adult supervision is provided.

Under the provisions of the possible law, localities can opt into the program but must notify the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation to be added to a map of localities who have passed the local law.

The temporary law was first passed on June 7, 2021, when St. Lawrence County adopted the law after state lawmakers agreed to the program.

In recent weeks, some media outlets are reporting the Department of Education is blocking funding for hunting and archery education activities under ESEA, which Stefanik says is eliminating opportunities for millions of American students each year to learn safe and responsible firearm handling, lessons about the recreational shooting sports and experience outdoor recreation.

In the letter, the lawmakers say the withholding of authorized federal funding of these programs with longstanding bipartisan support flies in the face of congressional intent and will harm students and communities across the country.

“These scholastic programs are where millions of kids learn safe and responsible firearm handling and storage, and this egregious, irresponsible overreach by your Department will have far-reaching negative consequences. Eliminating this funding through executive “interpretation” of law flies in the face of congressional intent. Your actions to advance a radical Far-Left anti-gun agenda are not only an abuse of executive power but eliminate the opportunity for kids to learn important skills, safety, and life lessons,” the letter reads.

“This is the most recent example of a series of Far Left pushes by the Biden Administration and Education Secretary Cardona in the name of their partisan political agenda. Despite long standing bipartisan congressional support, the Department of Education has decided to eliminate the opportunity for millions of American students to exercise their second amendment right by safely learning to use firearms and participate in recreational shooting sports,” Stefanik said in a press release.

Read the full letter at https://tinyurl.com/2xzsy4bn.