Lawmakers Demand Answers in Response to Threats to Education Department
On Wednesday, Ranking Senate Members Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), along with Ranking House Members Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), who lead Democrats on the key committees that write and fund education laws, wrote to Acting Secretary of Education Denise Carter to express their concerns about actions taken by the Trump Administration impacting the U.S. Department of Education (ED).
The letter specifically addresses issues such as the temporary freezing of federal financial assistance, the disenfranchisement of federal workers, and unauthorized access to sensitive student data. Noting that ED “oversees vital federal aid programs that help students from low-income backgrounds, students with disabilities, student veterans, students experiencing homelessness, rural students, educators, and parents in need of childcare across the country,” the lawmakers stated, “We will not stand by and allow the dismantling of the Department of Education to impact the nation’s students, parents, borrowers, educators, and communities.”
The lawmakers concluded by requesting detailed information on data access and protection, personnel changes, employee communications, and the continuity of departmental programs since January 20, 2025.