On March 20, Donald Trump signed an Executive Order directing the Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, to begin dismantling the Department of Education. This comes on the heels of the firing of 1,300 employees in the department and the closing of 5 offices that investigate civil rights complaints.

Because the Department of Education is a cabinet-level agency, Trump does not have the authority to abolish it. Only Congress can abolish a cabinet-level agency―and, in the past, supporting the Department of Education has traditionally been a bipartisan issue.

You can take action with CHN today by writing a letter to your representatives Congress demanding them to use their authority to block Trump from abolishing the Department of Education.

Here is what CHN members say about the EO:

• Asian Americans Advancing Justice: AAJC Slams Executive Order Eliminating the Department of Education
• The Arc: Dismantling the U.S. Department of Education: Here’s What’s at Stake for Students With Disabilities
• Autistic Self Advocacy Network: ASAN Condemns Trump’s Executive Order on the Department of Education – Autistic Self Advocacy Network
• AFSCME: Shutting down Education Department is a ‘hit job’ on everyday Americans
• Children’s Defense Fund: Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson on Dept. of Education Executive Order: ‘Education is still the Path to Freedom and Fairness
• Center for Law and Social Policy: Executive Order on Education Will Harm Children, Families, and the Economy
• The Leadership Conference: The Attack on Education Is an Attack on Civil Rights
• First Focus on Children: Closing Education Department is “Direct Attack” on Children and Department of Education Layoffs, Eventual Closure, Imperil our Nation’s Children
• National Education Association: “Trump’s continued actions will hurt all students”
• National Women’s Law Center: NWLC on Trump’s Order to Destroy Public Education
• Service Employees International Union: SEIU President April Verrett Condemns Executive Order to Dismantle Department of Education as Attack on Students and Working Families
• Southern Poverty Law Center: SPLC President Condemns Continued Attacks on U.S. Department of Education by Trump Administration
• ZERO TO THREE: Babies and Families Will Be Harmed by the Closure of the United States Department of Education