A group of 10 senators led by Democrat Chris Murphy sent a letter demanding that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos testify on allowing schools to buy guns with federal money.
The letter, released by the Connecticut senator Friday, asks chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., to get Devos to testify at an upcoming hearing about implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act, which offers states block grants for schools.
“If finalized, this proposal would be a significant departure from congressional intent, a dramatic overstep of the Department’s authority, and most importantly, could make students, teachers, and other school staff less safe,” reads the letter, which is also addressed to ranking member Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.
Education officials in Texas first floated the controversial idea to use funding from the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Program. DeVos has said that she “will not legislate via fiat from the department” regarding what states and districts think is appropriate to spend money on.
“Congress did not authorize me or the Department to make those decisions,” DeVos wrote.
Murphy’s letter states that while the law specifies the grant money be used to help schools offer a well-rounded education, improve school climate and conditions for student learning, and effectively employ technology to improve academic achievement, it does not include arming teachers.
“The law specifically supports drug and violence prevention programs that support ‘the creation and maintenance of a school environment that is free of weapons.’ Allowing schools to use this money to help schools buy guns flies in the face of what Congress clearly stated in federal law—that schools should be free of weapons,” it states.
The letter was signed by 10 Democrats on the committee; Murray, who did not sign, has previously sent her own letter to DeVos.
That letter, signed by Murray and another author of the Every Student Succeeds Act, along with 42 other Senate Democrats, said arming teachers was not intended under the law.
