WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) held a spotlight forum titled, “Robbing Our Students’ Futures: The Indefensible Attacks on Public Education,” focused on the Trump Administration and Republicans’ continued attacks on K-12 public education programs across the country. During the forum, Senator Hirono and her Democratic colleagues heard from a panel of witnesses comprised of K-12 educators and education experts who spoke about the attacks against our nation’s students and our public education system.
“President Trump is engaged in an all-out, coordinated attack on public education—from gutting the Department of Education’s workforce, to withholding the Department’s funding, to establishing the first-ever national school voucher program, this administration has been working relentlessly to undermine public education and eliminate crucial programs students and families rely on,” said Senator Hirono. “Today’s forum was an important step to help inform students and families about the threats this administration poses to our nation’s children and our public schools. I’ll continue working to combat these blatant attacks on our public education system and ensure every child in our country can get a quality, public education.”
Specifically, the forum focused on Trump and Republicans’ attacks on the U.S. Department of Education (ED)–including the ED workforce–as well as proposed cuts in the fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget proposal, FY 2025 impoundments, future rescissions, and school vouchers. Last month, Senator Hirono hosted another forum that highlighted the harmful consequences of the school voucher-related provisions included in the Republicans’ “Big Beautiful Bill.”
The forum featured testimony from:
Senator Hirono was joined by a number of her colleagues, including Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).
“This administration continues to gut critical programs meant to ensure every student can access a quality education. We must do all we can to support our students and educators,” said Senator Blunt Rochester, ranking member of the Senate’s Education & the American Family Subcommittee. “I am grateful to Senator Hirono for bringing us together in this moment to shine a light on the impacts these harmful policies are having on families and communities across the nation. We will continue to hold the Trump administration accountable for these truly indefensible policies.”
“It’s disgraceful that Secretary McMahon is firing the people responsible for protecting our students with disabilities. Today’s forum is a valuable opportunity to speak out and stand up against these horrible cuts, so we can start building a better future for our nation’s children,” said Senator Warren.
“Young people are our future, but President Trump and Republicans want to slam the door in their faces. Already, the effects of President Trump’s staffing cuts and illegal funding impoundment are being felt in Vermont. School districts that received federal funds are trying to figure out how they’ll make up the loss and serve every student. Teachers—who are already severely underpaid—will be forced to contend with a worsening affordability crisis in many states. Rural students will lose out on vital community resources. Students and families who rely on federal aid to pay for college are frightened they’ll lose the opportunity to earn an advanced degree,” said Senator Welch. “We need to fight back. I’ll continue to work alongside my colleagues to defend the integrity of the Department of Education and support educators and students.”
“From abruptly holding back billions of dollars in investments for public schools to gutting the Department of Education, this Administration is throwing public education into chaos and jeopardizing our kids’ future success. While there are areas where we must improve our education system, taking a chainsaw to it only threatens our longstanding goal of ensuring that each new generation has greater opportunities than the last. We should be working to strengthen our public schools so they can meet their full promise: providing equal access to high-quality education for every student, no matter their zip code,” said Senator Van Hollen.
“I am grateful that the Senate Democrats, led by Senator Hirono, had this hearing today to talk about public schools and our nation’s children,” said Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). “The full Senate HELP Committee should want to hear firsthand what the administration’s cuts mean for our students, their families and our public schools. They are abandoning the public schools that 90 percent of American children attend, to pay for tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. Instead of defunding public schools, we should be strengthening them, making them safe and welcoming, relevant and engaging—a vision our union is advancing.”
“As the Trump Administration continues to attack our nation's public school students and educators, we must continue to organize, advocate, and mobilize for the public schools our students and neighborhoods deserve,” said Princess Moss, Vice President of the National Education Association. “Students of every color, background, and ZIP code deserve qualified and caring educators who are dedicated and have the resources to support the passions and potential of every child. That means we must recruit and retain quality educators for our schools across our country. On behalf of America’s educators, we thank Sen. Hirono for being a champion for public schools.”
“We are witnessing a coordinated dismantling of public education and remaking of American society — a calculated effort to strip resources, diversity, and opportunity from millions of students to benefit a privileged few. Mass firings at the Department of Education, the refusal to spend funds allocated by Congress, and exclusionary policies reveal the Administration’s true intent: to deny students of color and students from working-class and low-income families the chance to pursue the American Dream. This is the Great American Heist — a moral failure that abandons our nation’s students while subsidizing the wealthy,” said Denise Forte, President and CEO of EdTrust.
“Summer is a time of improvement, innovation, and inspiration for millions of kids across the country. It’s when they discover new passions, build confidence, and recover ground lost during the school year. We are grateful for the bipartisan effort that led to the release of 21st Century Community Learning Center funds. But more must be done. Releasing the remaining federal funds will ensure consistent, ongoing investments that close opportunity gaps and expand access to the transformative power of summer learning,” said Aaron Dworkin, CEO of the National Summer Learning Association.
“Federal education and disability laws have shaped opportunity for students with disabilities for over 50 years. But today, the rights and protections we’ve fought hard to secure and the promise of a truly inclusive public education system are under threat. I’m honored to join this spotlight forum to represent K–12 students with learning disabilities and their families and to call attention to the actions that are undermining progress instead of advancing it,” said Dr. Jacqueline Rodriguez, CEO of the National Center for Learning Disabilities.
Video of the full forum can be found here and photos can be found here.
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