During a press briefing on Thursday, New York Attorney General Letitia James spoke about President Trump's attempt to layoff large portions of the Department of Education workforce.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Thank you so much.
00:02It truly is an honor and a privilege to be here with my colleagues because defunding
00:08the Department of Education will harm millions of American students.
00:13And this is what the Trump administration is trying to do by gutting the Department
00:17of Education.
00:18This effort will make it harder for students to learn and get the well-rounded education
00:23they deserve.
00:25And that's why my colleagues and I are fighting back.
00:28We filed our lawsuit to put a stop to the mass layoffs and cuts to the Department of
00:33Education that this administration is trying to carry out.
00:37Because we know that these cuts are aimed to end the agency as a force for good and
00:42for student access.
00:44Dismantling the Department of Education would be devastating for the over 50 million K-12
00:52students across this country.
00:54Over 50 million children are in its crosshairs.
00:59It is their education that is at stake here.
01:01Here in New York, our K-12 schools received over $6 billion from the Department of Education
01:08last year.
01:09And as a proud product of New York public schools, I will fight to ensure they receive
01:14the support that our millions of students deserve.
01:18Additionally, New York College students receive more Pell grants than almost any other state.
01:25The most vulnerable students, those who come from low-income families or have special needs,
01:30will be the most impacted by these cuts.
01:33Department of Education funds ensure that students with special needs have teachers
01:37and local workers that can support them.
01:40They provide more resources for schools that serve low-income populations.
01:45And they support schools in rural areas that often lack sufficient staff and resources.
01:51The Department of Education also defends the rights and safety of every student.
01:57The Office of Civil Rights protects students from discrimination and sexual assault.
02:02And firing staff that work in this office would put students in danger.
02:07The Trump administration's efforts to eliminate the Department of Education are not only wrong,
02:13they are illegal.
02:15And the president does not have the power to dismantle an agency that Congress established
02:20by law.
02:22And the president cannot cut off funds that Congress appropriated with a stroke of a sharpie.
02:29The administration's attempt to deprive our children of a quality of education is reckless,
02:35wrong, and immoral.
02:38And just as we have done with their other destructive policies, we are going to put
02:42a stop to it.
02:44Because for all of us, this is just another day of chaos, confusion, and contempt of government.
02:52And we won't allow it.
02:53I thank Attorneys General Bonta, Campbell, and Lopez, and all of our colleagues who have
02:59joined in this lawsuit, for their partnership in this effort to protect students and our
03:05schools and our educators.
03:08And the many millions of families who rely on them each and every day.
03:15Today I know we will protect our students, and today I stand with my colleagues in support
03:21of the rule of law.