Defend the U.S. Department of Education

Public Policy Action Request

Please read and sign!
AAUW-TX Letter:

Defend the U.S. Department of Education

AAUW of Texas is organizing a sign-on letter to U.S. Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, urging congressional oversight of the U.S. Department of Education’s unlawful transfer of education programs and funds to other agencies. (See statement from AAUW National.)

Please submit this form by January 19, 2026, to add your name to the letter. Only your name will appear on the letter, not your email address.

Questions? Reach out to Georgia Kimmel, gwkimmel@juno.com.

LETTER

Dear Senator,

On behalf of the undersigned AAUW members and supporters in Texas, I’m writing to urge you to provide immediate congressional oversight and to block the Administration’s unlawful transfer of Department of Education (ED) roles, responsibilities, and funds to other federal agencies through interagency agreements.

Whatever one’s views on the size of government, this is a basic separation-of-powers issue. Congress created ED and assigned specific duties to it in statute. The executive branch cannot effectively dismantle or reassign those responsibilities on its own. If changes to ED are warranted, they must be debated openly and enacted by Congress — not implemented through behind-the-scenes administrative transfers that bypass the law and blur accountability.

These transfers also create real, practical problems for states, districts, and families:

• Confusion and delay: Splitting education programs across multiple agencies forces states and schools to navigate different systems, contacts, reporting rules, and timelines to access the same federal dollars and guidance.
• Weaker protections for students: ED’s work is not just grant administration — it includes enforcing federal education laws and civil rights protections, including for students with disabilities and other vulnerable student populations. Fragmenting that expertise increases the risk of inconsistent guidance and uneven enforcement.
• Less transparency, more bureaucracy: Moving responsibilities out of ED does not “cut red tape.” It multiplies it — and makes it harder for Congress and the public to know who is accountable when programs fail or students’ rights are violated.

We respectfully ask you to:

1. Conduct vigorous oversight — including hearings, briefings, and document requests — to determine the legal basis, scope, and impacts of these transfers.
2. Direct GAO and agency Inspectors General to review whether the transfers comply with authorizing statutes and appropriations law, and to assess risks to program integrity and student protections.
3. Use appropriations and authorizing tools to stop the transfers — including clear language prohibiting the use of funds to carry out or expand these agreements and requiring ED functions and funds to remain within ED unless Congress expressly authorizes otherwise.

States deserve clarity, not chaos. Families deserve stability, not disruption. And students — especially those relying on federally protected rights — deserve consistent, expert enforcement of the laws Congress enacted.

Thank you for your leadership and for safeguarding Congress’s constitutional role. We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Sign on to AAUW-TX’s letter: HERE