Sanders, Murray, Baldwin, Scott, DeLauro Demand Answers on Trump’s Plans to Dismantle Education Department

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, alongside Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services, and Education, and Reps. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, sent a letter warning against the Trump administration’s reported plans to unilaterally dismantle the Department of Education. The lawmakers asked the acting Secretary of Education for answers on recent actions taken by the Trump administration to put federal workers on administrative leave, coerce employees into leaving their jobs, provide access to students’ sensitive data, and illegally freeze vital funding.

“Over the course of two weeks, the Trump Administration issued sweeping executive orders and sought to broadly and illegally freeze federal financial assistance,” wrote Sanders and the lawmakers. “Federal employees have been targeted, in some cases for simply following the law. Elon Musk is attempting to shut down the work of entire agencies while gaining access to some of the federal government’s most far reaching and sensitive data systems. Media reports indicate a similar effort may be underway at the Department of Education.”

“We will not stand by and allow this to happen to the nation’s students, parents, borrowers, educators, and communities. Congress created the Department to ensure all students in America have equal access to a high-quality education and that their civil rights are protected no matter their zip code,” continued the lawmakers. “We urge you to provide information on the steps the Department is taking to ensure the continuity of programs that Americans depend on, the ability of the Department to effectively administer programs for their intended purposes without waste, fraud and abuse, and the safeguards in place to protect student data privacy.”

The lawmakers note that Trump and Elon Musk have not shared any plans regarding intended changes to the Department of Education with the Congressional committees responsible for its oversight and funding. In their letter, they request information about access to the Department’s sensitive data and steps taken to safeguard it, communications and details regarding Department employees who have been placed on leave and confirmation that no awards have been blocked or terminated.

To read the full letter, click here.