[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 43 (Thursday, March 6, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H1023]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  WE NEED THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

  (Ms. BONAMICI asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, it is all over the news this morning.
  In just a few hours, it is expected that Donald Trump will sign an 
executive order to shut down the Department of Education. I condemn 
that in the strongest possible terms.
  This will slash support for students with disabilities, undermine 
schools in rural communities, and also eliminate the civil rights 
protections that people fought and died for.
  This executive order will be an illegal and unconstitutional abuse of 
power. An act of Congress created the Department of Education and only 
an act of Congress can dismantle it, and we will fight that.
  Last month, I introduced H. Res. 94 in defense of public education. 
We have more than 80 colleagues on that resolution. I want everyone to 
join us in signing that. Do not let them bulldoze our public education 
system.
  They are going to try to justify it by saying we have to return 
authority to States and local school boards, but they already have the 
authority. The Department of Education and the Federal Government don't 
set curriculum. They don't decide how many kids are in each class. What 
the Department of Education does is it protects civil rights, gives 
support to students who are low income and students with disabilities.
  Mr. Speaker, we will fight the efforts to defund this important work. 
If we can't legislate, we will litigate, but we will not back down.

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