California and Arizona attorneys general have joined a lawsuit fighting President Donald Trump’s executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.
The Democratic attorneys general are part of a coalition of 20 states that filed the suit. Plaintiffs also include the District of Columbia.
In a statement Thursday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the Trump administration knows the president needs congressional approval to close the department. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes agrees.
“My office will be looking at what this executive order actually does – not what the president says it will do,” said Bonta in a news release. “We will be monitoring closely to see how the president’s instructions to Education Secretary McMahon translate into concrete actions.”
The Department of Education is relatively new to the federal government. It began in 1979, whereas the departments of State, Treasury and Defense date back to the late 1700s. The departments of Interior (1849), Agriculture (1862) and Commerce (1903) have also been around longer than the Education Department.
Still, Mayes said the Department of Education is “critical” to providing millions of students with a quality education.
“Let’s not pretend this is about making government more efficient. It is not. It is destruction,” Mayes said in a press release. “It isn’t about better education policy. It is about tearing down public education by those who want to privatize it for profit.”
A White House fact sheet claims that federal control of education policy has failed students, parents and teachers.
The White House adds that trillions of dollars have been spent without improving student achievement.
Pointing to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as The Nation’s Report Card, the White House states that reading and math scores are the lowest they have been in decades, and schools are struggling with regulations and paperwork.
As a result, Trump said it is time to give education back to the states.
“Everybody knows it’s right,” the president said at a signing ceremony that included children in school desks. “We’re not doing well with the world of education in this country, and we haven’t in a long time.”
The attorneys general argue the administration “continues to do everything it can” to destroy the department.
The other attorneys general involved in the lawsuit are from Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin, Vermont and the District of Columbia. All of the attorney generals filing the lawsuit are Democrats.
Oh, yes! How dare they shut down liberal-brainwashing-central-hq!!!
Hobbs and Mayes have done nothing for our State.
President Carter formed the federal Department of Education to help States succeed in their education programs. The opposite has happened. States are now beholden to Federal Bureaucrats and their failed policies. State Attorney Generals are carrying Union water, not fighting for improvement in Education.
Another spend of our tax dollars on a worthless political stunt. I can not wait to send both these disasters into the unemployment line.
Yep. These people are completely brainwashed into thinking the Feds are running education better than each state could manage their own. What a joke this has been. One of the worst things Carter ever implemented. Mayes is horrific. What a disgrace to Az.
How does this benefit Arizona? Only a democrat political ploy on our dime.
California and Arizona attorneys general have joined a lawsuit fighting President Donald Trump’s executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education…. DUH
Californication knows no borders – the DEPT. of EDU is not old in terms of creation in 1979 – what is has as a history is – FEDERALIZATION of EDU. – the LEFT using the education system as a means to indoctrinate the children – NYET! The test scores are “DISMAL” in all academic elements. Let the STATES DECIDE – what the STATES FAMILIES want for ‘THEIR CHILDREN’ they are not the GOV’T’s Children, but they’d like that to be the case. Blinding the child’s views of ‘reality’ NYET!!! The state of Arizona has a good system allowing the parent to spend their $’s in the school of their choice.
FIGHT THE LEFT! there’s nothing they offer in their blinding that our children need. Indoctrination of socialism is not the way forward! With every breath – prayer – thought – don’t give up! Every vote – every action! The nation has taken back control – GOD BLESS AMERICA!
What an asinine waste of time and money. The attorney general thinks she works for the democrat party, not the people of Arizona. We really need to get her worthless behind out of office.
First of all, the DOE is NOT critical, it is less than 50 years old and has been an abject failure. However, unions sure have enjoyed it. How about you spent less time on federal issues and actually work for the state. She HAS to go.
Amen to that
RED FOR ED – is just that “RED” as in RED STAR – The unions nothing but ‘strikes and demands’ how ABOUT TEACHING KIDS! I did teach for a couple of years in college at a HS – I could never work with the teacher system.. blind leading the blind.. not to mention ‘pay’ not so good. My family – teachers ! HS Math and GS (3) great teachers – another era.
Democrats boldly fighting to protect spending, waste and bureaucracy!!
Well of course they did. They need to protect one of if not the biggest block of liberal voters, donors and indoctrinators for their cause, the teachers unions which IMHO should be outlawed tomorrow…..just like Reagan took out the air traffic controllers union. What a real joke and America haters these leftist idiots are.