WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), along with all HELP Committee Democrats, today called on Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) to hold an immediate oversight hearing with Education Secretary Linda McMahon regarding the illegal transfer of dozens of federally authorized education programs totaling more than $30 billion out of the Education Department.
Joining Sanders on the letter are Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.).
The demand follows McMahon’s Nov. 18 announcement of six new Interagency Agreements (IAAs) transferring core elementary, secondary and postsecondary education programs out of the Education Department without congressional authority. Sanders and HELP Democrats said these actions represent an alarming and illegal attempt by the Trump administration to dismantle the Education Department, and are a direct attack on students, parents, educators, colleges and public schools across the country.
“Congress unambiguously vested responsibility for administering education programs with the Department under numerous laws, and Congress explicitly appropriated funding to the Department to carry them out” wrote Sanders and the senators. “This illegal action is part of the administration’s broader effort to dismantle the Department.”
“At a time when U.S. students rank 34th in the world in math and academic outcomes have sharply declined since the early 2010s, it is outrageous that the Trump administration is trying to dismantle the only agency dedicated to improving outcomes for all students.” the senators continued. “Burying education programs in other federal agencies will not help students or support schools and colleges. Rather, it will jeopardize services for tens of millions of students, educators, and families across the country.”
More than 80 education, disability, and civil rights groups have vocally opposed the recent IAA’s and other departmental changes, urging the HELP Committee to examine the consequences for public schools, working families and communities throughout the country.
“As members of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee we must hold an oversight hearing on this massive and unprecedented transfer of responsibility and federal funding to other agencies. Therefore, we are calling on you to immediately hold a bipartisan oversight hearing to bring Secretary McMahon to testify before the Committee about these interagency agreements,” the senators concluded.
Read the letter here.
