1. United States
2. Ariz.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to take immediate action to prevent the dismantling of the Department of Education and the elimination of critical federal education programs that millions of students and families depend on. The current administration is actively working to eliminate the Department of Education entirely, transferring its responsibilities to agencies ill-equipped to handle them. International programs would move to the State Department, K-12 education to the Labor Department, and child care and special education to Health and Human Services. This restructuring would gut federal funding for public schools, eliminate support for students with disabilities, end enforcement of civil rights protections in education, and abolish federal student loan and workforce development programs. During the recent government shutdown, the team overseeing special education services was nearly eliminated. Teams responsible for civil rights enforcement and federal funding for low-income students have already been gutted. These are not theoretical concerns but actions already underway that will harm real students in your district. Additionally, the administration has proposed a federal rule to redefine certain professional degrees, which would decrease student loan caps and make higher education less accessible for working families. This change would disproportionately impact students pursuing careers in healthcare, education, and other essential fields. I am asking you to take three specific actions. First, push back against the proposed rule reclassifying professional degrees and limiting student loan access. Second, conduct rigorous oversight hearings on the dismantling of the Department of Education and demand accountability for these decisions. Third, refuse to support any funding bills that enable cuts to education programs or facilitate the transfer of education responsibilities to other agencies. Public education and federal support for students with disabilities are not partisan issues. They represent our commitment to equal opportunity and economic mobility. I need to know that you will stand up for students and families in our community by opposing these harmful changes.