WASHINGTON, DC – In a recent op-ed in TIME Magazine, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell discusses the important role Democratic AGs have in challenging the Trump administration’s unlawful actions, and also their success in restoring funding and critical education programs as Trump attempts to dismantle the Department of Education.  

“And make no mistake, this Administration will do everything in its power to hobble our nation’s schools—by cutting funding, supports, programming, and accountability measures that are critical to ensure every student has equal access and can live up to their potential,” AG Campbell wrote. “But state attorneys general have the power to fight back… it is only one battle among many we are fighting to protect our children and our future. With the rule of law on our side, we are winning far more than we are losing.” 

Key highlights:

• “The Courts have largely recognized that in America, we elect a president, not a king, and he doesn’t have the power to unilaterally override Congress’ power of the purse.” 
• “That’s why my fellow Democratic attorneys general and I are taking legal action. And we have no plans to take our foot off the gas.”
• “Facing pressure from our lawsuit, the Department of Education backed down and released billions of this critical funding, which it had no legal right to withhold in the first place.”
• “But our lawsuit sent a clear message: this Administration won’t get any free passes to undermine our rule of law.”
• “Getting these critical education dollars released is not our only win. When the Trump Administration attempted to withdraw hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for programs that address the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on K-12 students, attorneys general sued, and a federal judge ruled that the Trump Administration’s actions violated the law.”
• “When the Department of Education tried again to withhold funding, we went back to the courtroom and asked a judge to issue another injunction. The Courts ruled in our favor yet again.”
• “Extracurricular programming and unique learning opportunities, many of which were made possible by federal education dollars, enabled me to discover my passions, build critical skills, and help me see a future I couldn’t yet imagine for myself.”
• “A future in which I would become the first Black woman to serve as attorney general of Massachusetts. A future in which I would fight like hell to protect our residents from a federal Administration that wishes to eliminate the very opportunities that made me the woman, mother, lawyer, and leader I am today.”
• “An excellent public education doesn’t just happen. It’s the result of a network of supports that includes both federal and local funding as well as enforcement of laws that ensure equity and accessibility for all students, regardless of their background.”
• “As I write this, my office has filed 32 lawsuits against the Trump Administration. We have received favorable court orders and meaningful relief in almost all of them. Our judicial system is a powerful tool—a critical check on power and a defender of the rule of law.”
• “Democracy is only as strong as the people and institutions willing to protect it—and right now, many are rising to meet the occasion. We can’t afford not to. Our children and the future of our nation are at stake.” 

###