Originally by Ryan Meyers at www.murray.senate.gov
ICYMI: Center for American Progress details potential damage of Project 2025 proposal to eliminate Head Start, and Title I funding
Murray: “As a former preschool teacher—I have to say that I think a preschool student could’ve written a better education agenda.”
***VIDEO of Senator Murray’s Remarks ***
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a former preschool teacher and current senior member of the Senate Education Committee, joined her Senate colleagues at a press conference to speak about the extreme education agenda that President Trump and his allies have laid out for a second Trump administration.
“As a former preschool teacher—I have to say that I think a preschool student could’ve written a better education agenda,” Senator Murray warned. “It is unimaginable to me that we would cut our school funding in half, or fire teachers, or leave kids in the dust. It is unthinkable to me that we would shutter the Department of Education and tell our parents, and students, and teachers, and schools across the country, ‘Sorry you’re on your own!’ Our public schools are the backbone of our country’s strength, and it is the foundation of our future. Fighting for that future—fighting for our kids—is what first drove this mom in tennis shoes into politics, and it still drives me today.”
Former President Trump has said he wants dismantle the Department of Education and cut education funding in half, and also repeatedly said he wants to cut off federal funding to schools with vaccine requirements.
Meanwhile, Project 2025—the agenda a far-right alliance of former Trump administration officials have prepared for a second Trump administration—offers a roadmap to accomplish a far right shift in national education policy, including dramatic cuts to education investments. Among many other extreme policies, it includes proposals to eliminate Head Start which provides hundreds of thousands of families with early childhood education options, eliminate funding for Title I schools which serve low income communities, weaken special needs education, and cut back on which students receive school lunches.
Video of Senator Murray’s remarks HERE.
Senator Murray’s remarks as delivered are below:
“I have a stark warning for parents about what a second Donald Trump administration would mean for our families.
“Trump has said, clearly, and publicly—he wants to slash education funding in half—in half! That sounds unthinkable right? Impossible right?
“But this isn’t just Trump bluster—Project 2025 shows this is something that Republicans are seriously planning for, and their plans would have serious consequences.
“Project 2025 calls for ending Head Start, that is a program that has given millions of parents a start in early childhood education. It calls for choking off funding for schools in our low-income areas—including many in our rural communities. It calls for taking student lunches away from some students.
“This is really wildly out of touch with families and out of touch with reality.
“Do Republicans think rural communities need fewer teachers and public schools?
“Do Republicans think we should have less support for students with special needs?
“Do they think any parent wants to lose Head Start?
“Do they think any student wants to go to school hungry?
“Because that is what Project 2025 means. And that is what Trump is promising.
“Another promise—and this is direct from Donald Trump himself—he is going to cut off funding to schools with vaccine requirements. That should raise so many alarms and so many questions.
“Why does Trump want a measles outbreak? Why does he want to bring back Polio? Do we seriously think we came through a COVID pandemic—only for Trump to think ‘How can we make it worse next time?’ I mean, does he even understand what he’s talking about? Because every single state in the country has basic school vaccine requirements.
“I will tell you, as a former preschool teacher—I have to say that I think a preschool student could’ve written a better education agenda.
“Seriously though, it is unimaginable to me that we would cut our school funding in half, or fire teachers, or leave kids in the dust.
“It is unthinkable to me that we would shutter the Department of Education and tell our parents, and students, and teachers, and schools across the country, ‘Sorry you’re on your own!’
“Our public schools are the backbone of our country’s strength, and it is the foundation of our future. Fighting for that future—fighting for our kids—is what first drove this mom in tennis shoes into politics. And it still drives me today.
“So I will keep speaking out loudly about how Donald Trump, and Project 2025 would put our kids’ futures in jeopardy.”
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