US senator from Hawaii on education department’s mass layoffs: ‘The law still matters’

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow/AP) - U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, is speaking out against the U.S. Department of Education’s plan to lay off more than 1,300 employees.

“I think this is flatly impermissible under the statute,” he told Hawaii News Now.

In a memo issued Tuesday, top officials ordered employees to vacate their offices and work from home in preparation for the layoffs.

Those impacted by the cuts will go on administrative leave beginning March 21 with layoffs expected to take effect in 90 days.

“We’re still a country of laws, and the law still matters, and the law does not permit an executive to just decide one day to lay off half of the workers in an agency that they don’t like,” Schatz said.

“The executive branch is responsible for executing the laws, and they can’t just wave away a law by executive order, by memo. That’s a lazy way to try to govern, and I think it’ll be overturned in the courts,” he said.

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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.

The layoffs are part of a dramatic downsizing directed by President 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.

Schatz launched an online guide Wednesday to help Hawaii residents impacted by recent federal policy changes to federal policies, including immigrants, veterans and other federal workers, and the LGBTQ+ community.

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