WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today released the following statement on President Trump’s unconstitutional Executive Order to eliminate the Department of Education, which would require an act of Congress:  

“Donald Trump is pulling the rug out from underneath a critical element of our education system. Make no mistake, this new Executive Order will hurt students in communities of every size, educators and staff, and rural America. President Trump has already cut Department workforce in half. Shrinking the Department of Education further will only slow the critical services it provides to our kids, and slash opportunities to our next generation of students.  

“President Trump and Elon Musk have one mission: to break the federal government beyond repair. The dismantling of the Department of Education defies the powers of the Executive, and is yet another damaging element of the president’s illegal rampage, which will meet fierce opposition in our communities, in Congress, and in the courts. I am always willing to work on good-faith reform efforts to make any agency work better for Vermonters, but dismantling the Department of Education is reckless and unconstitutional.” 

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