CAPAC Slams Trump Administration’s Decision to Gut Department of Education

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Rep. Grace Meng and Education Task Force Chair Rep. Mark Takano released a joint statement on the Trump Administration’s decision to fire nearly half of the Department of Education’s staff:

“Every child deserves a high-quality education, no matter where they live or how much money their parents make. The Department of Education is instrumental in achieving this goal, yet the Trump Administration decided to fire nearly half of the agency’s staff, effectively gutting the agency.

“This is just the first step. The Trump Administration will not stop until the Department of Education is completely dismantled — forcing schools to close, ripping away special education services for students with disabilities, cutting job training programs, and blocking millions of people from joining the middle class.

“This decision could also have dire consequences for Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions, which rely on federal funding to provide an affordable, quality education to many low-income Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander students.

“Instead of gutting public education, we should be investing in our children’s future, yet President Trump and Congressional Republicans are more interested in giving billionaires a tax break than setting the next generation up for success. Our kids deserve better.”

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Founded in 1994, the bicameral Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus is composed of 73 members of Congress who advocate on behalf of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. The Caucus is led by Congresswoman Grace Meng, who was elected CAPAC Chair in 2024.