1. United States
2. Fla.
3. Letter

I urge you to take immediate action to oppose the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. The Department of Education plays a critical role in ensuring access to quality education students across the country — including 2 million+ in Florida and 90,000+ in FL-13 — and its elimination would have devastating consequences. As the agency and many of its core offices were created by Congress, no president has the power to unilaterally abolish this vital institution. However, efforts to strip it of funding and resources threaten the stability of our educational system and the future of millions of students. The Department of Education supports almost 99,000 public schools nationwide, ensuring fair funding, and providing critical resources for students and educators. If these attacks are successful, the consequences will be catastrophic and will include the following: - Drastic cuts to funding and support for schools, teachers, and students - An increase in unchecked discrimination against students based on sex, race, national origin, color, and disability - The loss of hundreds of thousands of teaching jobs - The rollback of specialized services and programs for students with disabilities - The elimination of federal student aid and reasonable loan repayment options for college students - The disappearance of federal data that tracks and addresses gaps in education access and schools’ compliance with civil rights laws Weakening the Department of Education does not serve the interests of Florida families. This will undermine opportunities for students, destabilize communities, and erode pathways to the middle class. I ask that you fight for students, teachers, and families by rejecting any proposal that seeks to strip away essential educational resources. I look forward to your response and to seeing you take a firm stance against these dangerous attacks. Thank you for your time and commitment to protecting public education.