In Speech On The Senate Floor, Durbin Slams Trump Administration's Abhorrent Mission To Dismantle Department Of Education
In Illinois, the Department provides critical annual funding for more than two million K-12 students and 1.6 million student loan borrowers
WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke out against President Trump’s recent executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) at the expense of the nation’s future. In his remarks, Durbin made clear that gutting the federal agency will inflict irreparable harm on local school districts in Illinois by stripping away critical federal funding.
“Last week, President Trump signed an executive order to close down the Department of Education. Demolishing the federal agency dedicated to the success of the next generation? It’s shortsighted and deeply damaging to the future of this country,” Durbin began.
In Illinois, the Department provides critical annual funding for K-12 schools to meet the needs of 4,000 schools and more than two million students. This includes $652 million in annual funding for nearly 30,000 kids with disabilities and $778 million in annual funding for schools enrolling 1.3 million students from low-income backgrounds.
Contrary to the President’s claims, state and local funding, not federal support, accounts for the majority of K-12 education funding. Further, states and school districts maintain jurisdiction over what is taught in schools, not the federal government.
“Cuts to federal education programs and funds will hurt the nation’s students and communities they live in. Shuttering the Department of Education threatens funding for low-income students and special education,” Durbin continued. “And it makes uncertain the future of federal student loans and Pell Grants… [which] open the door to opportunity, prepares these students to be part of the future workforce and the economy, and allows America to compete on a global stage.”
In Illinois, 226,000 students receive $1 billion in Pell Grants to help them afford higher education. Durbin has been a strong supporter of doubling the Pell Grant maximum award to further support Illinoisans in pursing higher education.
There also are 1.6 million Illinois borrowers that hold $63 billion in federal student loans through the Department. As the Trump Administration aims to dismantle the Department, it has proposed moving student loan administration to the Small Business Administration (SBA), while simultaneously advocating for the firing of 40 percent of SBA employees.
“He wants to eliminate the Department of Education and… he’s going to shift the responsibility for administering that program [student loan administration] to the Small Business Administration, which is not a large agency, but at the same time he’s going to cut the number of employees at SBA by 40 percent,” Durbin said. “It’s going to be an administrative disaster.”
“Before signing last week’s Executive Order, President Trump made significant staff cuts at the Department, already one of the smallest agencies. He fired more than half of the staff at the Department of Education. Why does he need this money that he’s going to bring back to the Treasury by firing these people? Because, of course, he needs to pay for tax cuts for wealthy people,”Durbin continued.
In gutting the Department, the Trump Administration fired employees at the Office of Federal Student Aid, meaning students who rely on financial aid will have to wait even longer for support to afford college. Further, the President slashed staff at the Office for Civil Rights, weakening enforcement of federal laws that were passed by Congress to protect students from marginalized backgrounds and students with disabilities.
“How does closing the one agency responsible for shaping our nation’s young people, for building the competitive workforce of tomorrow, make America great? It doesn’t,” Durbin said.
Before concluding his remarks, Durbin underscored that the Trump Administration’s mission to eliminate the Department of Education is illegal.
“Not only will closing down the Department of Education hurt millions of young people across the country and weaken our nation’s future, it is also illegal,” Durbin said. “The President does not have the power or the authority to unilaterally close these agencies.”
“I want to make sure the Department of Education is efficient. I want to make sure that it’s responsive. But the notion that we’re going to shift all of the student loans to the SBA is an example of someone who didn’t think it through,” Durbin concluded.
Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.
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