[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 67 (Thursday, April 17, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E320]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      PRESIDENT TRUMP'S PROPOSED DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SHUTDOWN

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                           HON. JOYCE BEATTY

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 17, 2025

  Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a proud member of the 
Congressional Black Caucus because our children are our future--and the 
Department of Education is one of the strongest tools we have to 
prepare them for that future.
  In 1954, Brown v. Board of Education affirmed what Black America had 
long known: separate is not equal. That landmark decision was more than 
a legal ruling--it was a promise. A promise that every child, no matter 
their ZIP code, deserves a fair and quality education.
  Since then, the Department of Education has helped to keep that 
promise. It protects students from racial and gender discrimination and 
enforces critical civil rights laws. It supports Pell Grants and other 
forms of student aid, strengthens our Historically Black Colleges and 
Universities (HBCUs), and ensures that students with disabilities 
receive the services they need to succeed.
  But now, President Trump wants to destroy all of that. Eliminating 
the Department of Education is not about policy--it is about 
punishment. And I want to go on the record: we will fight back--against 
President Trump, against you, Speaker Johnson, and against every 
Republican who remains silent in the face of this attack.
  This is punishment for being poor. For being Black. For attending 
public schools.
  A report from UCLA's Civil Rights Project reveals that 40 percent of 
Black students attend schools where 90 percent or more of their 
classmates are also students of color. These schools too often have 
fewer counselors, overcrowded classrooms, and outdated materials. When 
you cut the Department of Education, you don't just cut red tape--you 
cut protections. You cut resources. You cut off opportunities.
  And while this assault affects communities across the country, it 
hits especially hard in my district--Ohio's Third. We stand to lose 
$109 million per year in basic public school funding that keeps 
students learning and teachers employed. We also stand to lose $21 
million in special education support, and $19 million for school 
meals--because no child should be too hungry to learn. More than 1,300 
teaching jobs are on the line.
  All of this--to make billionaires richer? Mr. Speaker, we are not 
going backward. Not to Jim Crow classrooms. Not to separate and 
unequal.
  The Congressional Black Caucus stands united. We will fight for our 
students. For our schools. And for the future every child deserves.

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