1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

As a constituent, I urge you to take action to stop President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Linda McMahon from dismantling the Department of Education. Last year, nearly half the department’s skilled staff was laid off or forced out. A year after her confirmation, McMahon began moving Department of Education offices and associated programs to other federal agencies—an unprecedented and illegal move that could disrupt funding to states and school districts, cause layoffs, gut learning opportunities, reduce special education services and resources, and increase barriers to post-secondary education. This spring, the Trump administration announced its most aggressive steps yet to dismantle the Department of Education: moving the special education office that administers the $15 billion Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) program to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) while moving the civil rights office that enforces anti-discrimination laws in schools to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Other education programs have been scattered across three different federal agencies—the Departments of the Interior, State, and Treasury. Congress created the Department of Education for good reason: to guarantee all our children equal access to educational opportunities and coordinate federal programs to fulfill that goal. Dismantling the department hurts kids and communities while usurping the power of Congress, a co-equal branch of government. Protect public education and our nation’s students. Stop dismantling the Department of Education NOW!