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Bonamici, Colleagues Take Action to Stop Trump-DeVos from Using Federal Funds to Arm Teachers

August 28, 2018

WASHINGTON, DC [08/28/18] – Today Education and the Workforce Vice Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA), and 171 Democrats took action to protect students and educators by calling on Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to forbid the use of federal student grant funds to arm teachers and staff.

"Students and school staff deserve a learning environment that is safe, welcoming, and conducive to quality instruction and student learning," the lawmakers wrote. "Arming teachers would not only jeopardize student and staff health and safety, but also run counter to Congressional intent, precedent, and common sense. We urge you to clearly and unequivocally disallow the arming of teachers using ESEA funds intended to improve equity of educational opportunity."

Congress created ESSA's Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant Program with the intent to support mental health services and other important student support programs. In the letter, the lawmakers note that, although the grants offer flexibility to meet local needs, the presence of firearms in schools is expressly denounced in ESSA section 4102(5)B. The lawmakers also directed Secretary DeVos to adhere to the statutory restriction on the use of federal funds to purchase guns.

"Congressional opposition to the implementation of federal funds for guns in schools is not open to interpretation," the lawmakers wrote. "In authorizing the STOP School Violence Act in the aftermath of the Parkland, FL school shooting, Congress acted to prohibit program funds from being used for the purchase of firearms or firearms training."

Bonamici first condemned the proposal to use the funds to arm teachers after it was reported in the New York Times. She is a member of the House Gun Violence Protection Task Force and has longbeen a strong advocate for legislation to address and prevent gun violence.Bonamici also led efforts in the House to boost funding for Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) grants under Title IV-A of the Every Student Succeeds Act.

You can read the letter here.

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Issues:Education