President Trump's Proposed Department of Education Shutdown

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

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 These schools too often have fewer counselors, overcrowded classrooms, and outdated materials.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.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source