Attorneys general from 20 states and the District of Columbia have already fired the opening shot by launching a lawsuit against the Trump administration. They’re challenging the dismissal of more than 1,300 workers at the U.S. Department of Education. Her workforce-loving, swamp-draining lawsuit alleges that the layoffs are intended to abolish the Education Department. This department manages the nation’s $1.6 trillion student loan portfolio, distributes funding to public schools, and protects our civil rights. The suit names President Donald Trump, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, and the U.S. Department of Education as defendants.
Democratic state attorneys general say the Trump administration is willfully destroying the Education Department. Yet they hail historic cuts in staff as proof of this trend. In response, they claim that the administration is purposely attempting to “starve” the department. By slashing resources, they’re making it impossible for this important agency to do its job.
The attorneys general argue that the Trump administration is on a deliberate, coordinated campaign to undermine the Education Department. They have filed a lawsuit to contest each of these actions in turn. While the department cannot be eliminated without congressional approval, the administration can significantly curtail its operations through budget cuts and staff reductions.
The lay-offs are an effective dismantling of the Department. - Democratic state attorneys general
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon has made no secret about the administration’s desire to remake the agency.
proceeding as expeditiously as possible - Linda McMahon, Secretary of Education
And as Americans look to better the disease-riddled American education system, the Education Department has never been more vital. It oversees a $1.6 trillion student loan portfolio and proves an essential lifeline of funding to schools across the country. It enforces civil rights laws in schools and colleges. The attorneys general argue that the staff cuts will undermine the department's ability to effectively carry out these vital functions.
Among other things, the states bringing the lawsuit fear that drastic staffing reductions will undermine the department’s ability to enforce civil rights. This will create unnecessary complications in allocating these funding dollars to schools which will jeopardize students and education initiatives nationwide. They argue that the administration's actions are detrimental to the department's operations and a violation of federal law.
