Illinois leaders slam Trump after 'appalling' Education Department layoffs

Education department launches first stage of teardown

The Trump administration is now dismantling the U.S. Department of Education that coming just as congress is racing to prevent a larger government shutdown later this week.

WASHINGTON - Illinois leaders took shots at the Trump administration after it announced the firings of over 1,3000 employees at the Department of Education.

Roughly half of the staff in the department are expected to be laid off in the latest round of firings.

What they're saying:

Gov. JB Pritzker

Pritzker condemned the Trump Administration on Tuesday for the downsizing of the department.

"Donald Trump is failing the test of leadership again," Pritzker said. "Instead of proposing any plans to improve math and reading scores for students, he’s tearing down the Department of Education and making it harder for working class kids to get ahead."

Sen. Dick Durbin

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) released a statement, saying the latest layoffs will have a "lasting ripple effect across our country."

"Students, educators, and public servants are the victims of President Trump’s latest attempt to gut the federal government. This is appalling.

"Make no mistake – this is not about ‘efficiency.’ This shameful decision to attack the Education Department is just the first step in fulfilling the reckless vision of Project 2025, and it will have a lasting ripple effect across our country.

"Meanwhile, more than 1,300 dedicated public servants are out of a job, our local schools will lose resources, and our kids will suffer. Once again, thanks to President Trump, billionaires win and families lose."

Sen. Tammy Duckworth

"By taking a chainsaw to our workforce at the Education Department, Donald Trump and Elon Musk are jeopardizing critical support for teachers, loan assistance for student borrowers and the promise of a quality education for our kids—especially those with disabilities and those living in low-income areas. Their chaos will inflict so much needless pain on children, parents, teachers, the future of our nation’s workforce and the American dream—and for what? So they can fund tax cuts for billionaires. As a mother of two girls, I am disgusted and mad as hell that Donald Trump would prioritize his uber-wealthy buddies at the expense of our children."

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi

"As a product of great public schools, I know firsthand just how important they are for working families, and the Trump Administration’s reckless attempt to slash the Department of Education’s workforce by 50 percent would gut essential programs that help students of all backgrounds build a brighter future for themselves and our entire country," Krishnamoorthi said in a statement. "Weakening our education system not only shortchanges our children but also undermines our workforce and economy at a time when our global competitors are investing more—not less—in education."

Trump cuts to Department of Education staff affects Chicago office

The cuts to the U.S. Department of Education staff by the Trump administration will affect an office in Chicago.

Mass layoffs at U.S. Department of Education

The backstory:

The Trump administration had already been whittling the agency’s staff, through buyout offers and the termination of probationary employees. After Tuesday’s layoffs, the Education Department’s staff will sit at roughly half of its previous 4,100, the agency said.

The layoffs are part of a dramatic downsizing directed by Trump as he moves to reduce the footprint of the federal government. Thousands of jobs are expected to be cut across the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration and other agencies.

The department is also terminating leases on buildings in cities including New York, Boston, Chicago and Cleveland, officials said.

Department officials said it would continue to deliver on its key functions such as the distribution of federal aid to schools, student loan management and oversight of Pell Grants.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said when she got to the department, she wanted to reduce bloat to be able to send more money to local education authorities.

"So many of the programs are really excellent, so we need to make sure the money goes to the states," McMahon said in an interview Tuesday on Fox News.