{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://mcbride.house.gov/media/press-releases/mcbride-condemns-trump-administrations-reckless-and-illegal-push-dismantle", "McBride Condemns Trump Administration\u2019s \u201cReckless and Illegal\u201d Push to Dismantle the Department of Education", "2025-12-15", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Sarah McBride", "M001238", "mcbride.house.gov", "mcbride", "https://mcbride.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Congresswoman Sarah McBride (D-DE) delivered a forceful floor speech condemning the Trump administration\u2019s efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, calling the plan \u201cillegal,\u201d \u201creckless,\u201d and \u201ca direct threat to America\u2019s children.\u201d\n\nMcBride made clear that this isn\u2019t a symbolic restructuring \u2014 it\u2019s a blueprint that would take federal resources away from the students who need them most.\n\n\u201cLet\u2019s be clear: dismantling the Department of Education isn\u2019t about returning power to the states. It\u2019s about defunding public education and funneling taxpayer dollars into private institutions with no accountability,\u201d McBride said. \u201cAnd the people who will pay the price are students \u2014 especially those with disabilities, those from low-income families, and those living in rural communities.\u201d\n\nThe Human Impact: What Dismantling the Department Really Means\n\nUp to 180,000 teaching positions could be eliminated nationwide, according to analysis of the administration\u2019s proposal to turn Title I into state block grants with no safeguards. That shift would affect 2.8 million students in low-income communities.\n\nRoughly 7.5 million students with disabilities rely on services funded by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Moving or weakening this program would make it significantly less likely that students receive mandated services.\n\n9.8 million rural students depend on federal bridge funding to keep small schools open and staffed. Those funds would be at risk with no national strategy to replace them.\n\n26 million students from low-income backgrounds rely on federal supports that help close achievement gaps \u2014 supports that would be destabilized or eliminated.\n\n40 million student loan borrowers and 6.6 million Pell Grant recipients could face massive uncertainty if federal aid and loan servicing are shifted or dismantled.\n\nCivil rights protections \u2014 including protections against discrimination based on race, gender, and disability \u2014 would be weakened if the Office for Civil Rights is moved out of the Department. Teachers and advocates warn millions of students would be left more vulnerable.\n\nDelaware\u2019s Stakes: What We Stand to Lose\n\nMcBride emphasized that these consequences wouldn\u2019t just be felt nationally \u2014 they would hit Delaware directly.\n\nDelaware receives $530 million in federal education funding, supporting more than 1,100 teaching positions statewide. Those funds keep classroom sizes manageable, ensure students with disabilities receive required services, and support school districts with limited local tax bases.\n\n\u201cRemoving that funding would mean students without teachers, schools without support, and communities left behind,\u201d McBride said. \u201cFamilies in Delaware have told me, again and again, that they want strong public schools. They know that when we destabilize a school system, it\u2019s our kids who pay the price.\u201d\n\nMcBride: \u201cWe Should Be Investing in Their Future \u2014 Not Abandoning Them\u201d\n\nMcBride\u2019s remarks echoed the warnings of educators across the country, including the National Education Association, which has said the administration\u2019s proposal would \u2018inflict damage on millions of low-income students\u2019 and \u201cgut federal protections and resources that allow every child to reach their full potential.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve stood arm-in-arm with Delaware educators, parents, and students who are sounding the alarm,\u201d McBride said. \u201cThey\u2019re asking for a fair shot \u2014 and we should be investing in their future, not abandoning them.\u201d\n\nThe full video of McBride\u2019s speech is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://mcbride.house.gov/media/press-releases/mcbride-condemns-trump-administrations-reckless-and-illegal-push-dismantle"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3478558976203203, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}