President Trump’s Attacks: March 31- April 7

Voting is the easiest way to engage in our democracy, and the convenience of vote-by-mail ensures that everyone has an opportunity to make their voice heard. However, as reported by New Jersey Monitor, the Trump administration is seeking to challenge the validity of vote by mail ballots in an executive order that would end New Jersey’s six-day grace period for vote-by-mail ballots that reach election officials after polls close on Election Day. This measure could prevent ballots from being counted.

New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin, responded to the executive order, calling it “the most serious attempt to disenfranchise voters from any President in modern American history.”

On Friday, April 4, the Democratic House Caucus took a strong stand in support of working families and sent a letter to President Trump urging him to rescind his executive order that terminated the right of federal employees to collectively bargain and join a union. Every Democratic member signed the attached letter to President Trump seeking to rescind his executive order.

To read the Democratic House Caucus letter to President Trump, click here.

At the New Jersey State AFL-CIO, we applaud the actions of the Democratic House Caucus to address these unprecedented attacks on union members, and the four House Republicans (Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-PA, Nick LaLota, R-NY., Michael Turner, R-OH. Michael Lawler, R-NY) who are sponsors of legislation seeking to rescind the executive order.

Additionally, we also thank the eight House Republicans, including Congressman Chris Smith, who (NJ-4) signed a letter to the President seeking the same action. To view that letter, click here.

Threatening the ability of public schools to provide their students with access to important services, the Secretary of Education Linda McMahon (appointed by President Trump) stated that states will lose access to the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund, which was used to address the ongoing impact of the pandemic on public schools. This news came just weeks after McMahon gave approval to extend 41 states access to the reserves which were set to be liquidated by January 28, 2025.

This leaves states, including New Jersey, responsible for millions and even hundreds of  millions of dollars in contracts and bills for projects and programs that were already approved.

According to NorthJersey.com., several schools across our state will be impacted, as they will have to shoulder already approved costs for projects and programs that seek to promote student’s health and safety by addressing unsafe building conditions, investing in academic recovery, or supporting students’ ongoing mental health concerns.

Two of the state’s largest high-poverty districts, Newark and Paterson, will lose funding. Districts impacted in North and Central Jersey include: Bergenfield, Fairview, Westwood Regional, Guttenberg, East Orange, North Bergen, Clifton, Passaic City, Elizabeth and Linden.

The districts affected in South Jersey include Bridgeton, Delran Township, Gloucester City, Hamilton Township, Keansburg, Brick Township, Penns Grove-Carneys Point Regional and Robert Treat Academy charter school.

In total, our school districts are set to lose a combined $85 million.

The latest attack on public schools reveals President Trump’s lack of regard for working families, particularly as he continues to threaten to withdraw federal funding for public schools with high percentages of low-income students, known as Title I funding. The department has stated that the funding could be cut if schools refused to comply with President Trump’s directives on removing programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion.

AFT President Randi Weingarten criticized President Trump for the hypocritical nature of his statements on public education in a statement.

“The president’s approach is rich in irony. On the one hand, the administration wants to abolish the Education Department and dismantle its role in schools, and on the other, it wants to dictate curriculum in minute detail and act as a de facto HR director.

“This is a power grab and a money grab—and it’s also blatantly unlawful. We know the administration wants to divert federal education funds into block grants, vouchers or tax cuts, but it’s simply not legal; only Congress can do that. Further, federal statute explicitly prohibits any president from telling schools and colleges what to teach, and funds cannot be withheld on the basis of Title VI Civil Rights Act claims without due process,” said President Weingarten.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin, along with other democratic officials in 22 other states and Washington, D.C., sued the Trump administration for cutting $11 billion in pandemic-era programs that have since been used to support several public health initiatives to track the spread of several diseases, including bird flu.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the officials stated that by canceling federal grant programs by congress, the Trump administration is breaking its contract with states.

On Friday, April 4, U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy, in Rhode Island on Thursday, granted the temporary restraining order requested by the 23 states.

The funding has been used to address a range of health issues for New Jersey residents, including mental health concerns, substance abuse and support for community health centers.