[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 29 (Wednesday, February 12, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H649]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 PROTECTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. De La Cruz). The Chair recognizes the 
gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Tlaib) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. TLAIB. Madam Speaker, any day now, President Trump is gearing up 
to shut down the Department of Education. This is the latest power 
grab, an assault on our kids, an assault on our teachers, and an 
assault on our families in our district that rely on public education.
  The Department of Education is a lifeline for many low-income 
residents and students. When the President says he wants to abolish it, 
he is coming after communities like Detroit, Southfield, Dearborn, and 
Livonia.
  The Department's title I funding ensures all children, regardless of 
which ZIP Code they were born in, can access public education, quality 
education.
  Here we go. The President is attacking public school students. More 
than half of our Nation's public schools educate low-income kids but 
also students with special needs. They are going after the different 
programs that help children living with autism, children having 
learning disabilities, needing that special care. I know that it is the 
public education system that takes them in and takes care of them and 
ensures that they have access to quality education.
  We also know that States across the country want to whitewash Black 
history. They are already going after it, as if Black history is not 
American history.
  We also know they want to erase the existence of LGBTQI+ students and 
discriminate against our children.
  I know without the Department of Education, no one will be left to 
ensure civil rights laws are enforced in our schools. We know that 
community college students in my district alone will particularly 
suffer, because 50 percent of Henry Ford College in my district 
receives Pell grants that are going and administered through the 
Department of Education.
  I know folks are thinking it is never going to happen. It already has 
started.
  If my colleagues support abolishing the Department of Education, then 
they should publicly do it. Vote on it on this House floor. Don't allow 
the little minion billionaire to do it. If they want to do it, then 
their residents, the American people, deserve to see how they will 
vote. Will they leave our children behind or not?
  It is important, critically important, that we do this in a 
transparent way, because I know my residents want me on record voting 
against abolishing public education.


          Abolishing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

  Ms. TLAIB. Madam Speaker, here we go. Elon Musk, the richest man on 
the planet, and Russ Vought, the guy who wrote Project 2025, want to 
shut down the 911 agency for fraud and consumer protection that many of 
us call the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
  This is where my residents call for mortgage fraud, to fight against 
different scams that they fall victim to because we haven't done a good 
job preventing folks from out of the country and others targeting our 
seniors and so many others.
  Financial predators like Wall Street and CEOs despise the Consumer 
Financial Protection Bureau. I wonder why. That is because it is the 
only agency whose sole mission is to protect working people from 
getting ripped off.
  I still remember the success we had in going after loan servicers for 
student loans, getting back millions of dollars to people who were 
directly impacted by those scams.
  Shutting down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau lets financial 
predators run wild, and working-class families will pay the price.
  Since it was created, we know it forced big banks and powerful 
corporations to give $21 billion back to our families that were 
cheated, but here we go. President Trump's minion, Elon Musk, wants to 
steal hard-earned money from the working class to reward their 
billionaire donors and CEOs, to protect them, not us.
  I know that the CFPB has had a huge impact on the lives of my 
residents, doing things like capping credit card late fees, holding 
companies who break the law accountable, targeting junk fees, and 
eliminating $49 billion in medical debt from people's credit reports.
  Think about that. No one plans to get sick. We have sick care in our 
country, not healthcare. No one should have to file bankruptcy because 
they got sick, and they couldn't afford to take care of themselves.
  They helped also protect 15 million Americans that have medical debt 
on their credit report. It was supposed to be implemented in March to 
remove medical debt from people's credit report. It doesn't belong 
there.
  I know that doesn't matter to these billionaires, but it makes a 
world of difference for our families who are just trying to make ends 
meet. They want to make sure that our government is about people, that 
we have their back. I know the 911 call they make to this agency to 
protect them has made a difference, but they want to eliminate that.
  If they want to get rid of this agency, do it publicly. Vote on it. I 
have no idea why they are handing their duties and responsibilities and 
the oath of this office over to a billionaire that never took the oath.

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