1. United States
2. Pa.
3. Letter

Vote to restore full funding to the Department of Education and redirect resources from military operations in Iran. The recent layoffs at ED cut the workforce from 4,133 to 2,183 employees, eliminating critical offices like the Office of Educational Technology and gutting cybersecurity support that protects schools from ransomware attacks. Meanwhile, we're spending $200 billion on a war in Iran that only drives up costs for American families. These cuts destroyed the entire Office of Educational Technology after 30 years of essential work, terminated civil rights enforcement teams that protected students across five states, and decimated the Institute of Education Sciences. The data systems that track graduation rates and student performance nationwide are now at risk. Schools lost free cybersecurity services from MS-ISAC right when they need protection most. Our priorities are backwards. We're spending massive sums on military excursions while gutting the agency responsible for our children's education. Students, teachers, and parents deserve better than skeleton-crew oversight and vanishing support services. Restore the Department of Education's budget and staff these essential offices properly. Education is an investment in America's future that actually pays dividends at home.