Led by Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT), all Senate Democrats on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee submitted a letter to Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-LA) on Thursday calling for an immediate oversight hearing with Education Secretary Linda McMahon concerning what they describe as the “systematic dismantling” of the U.S. Department of Education (ED). The Senators assert that six interagency agreements announced on November 18 would transfer more than 50 major education programs—representing over $30 billion annually—to federal agencies that lack the requisite expertise and operational capacity to manage them. They argue that this move constitutes “an unlawful effort to advance the Administration’s stated goal of dissolving the Department” and warn that dispersing programs across multiple agencies will generate confusion, disrupt services for tens of millions of students, and exacerbate recent funding cancellations and withholding of funds. COPAA has also been urging Congress to conduct oversight hearings and is currently conducting outreach meetings with Hill offices. Email Congress TODAY about the need to protect children with disabilities and investigate executive violations of statutory requirements under federal education laws.
IDEA Determination Letters Show States in Need of Intervention
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has released determination letters on state implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Parts B and C. States participating in Part B, which serves individuals age 3-21, and Part C, which serves...

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