On Wednesday, the federal government shut down. The impacts have been immediate and severe. Thousands of federal employees are out of work. Critical services have stopped. And the Trump administration is using this crisis to advance a plan that undermines public education and public-sector unions.
Last week, the administration’s Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought told federal agencies that programs without funding are “no longer statutorily required to be carried out.” This is not just about budget gridlock. It’s part of a broader strategy to slash essential services, privatize education, and weaken unions.
President Trump has already signed a budget law that guts SNAP nutrition assistance, cuts Medicaid, and creates a massive federal tuition voucher program. For Pennsylvania families, that means more hunger, fewer health services in schools, and taxpayer money siphoned into unaccountable private and religious schools. Cuts to Medicaid alone could eliminate mental health care, speech therapy, and health screenings for students who need them most.
At the same time, the Trump administration has terminated contracts for nearly 450,000 public-sector workers and cut U.S. Department of Education staff in half. An executive order even begins the process of dismantling the department entirely, which puts special education funding at risk for millions of students.
“Educators and support professionals value teaching and learning that is focused on the needs of our students,” said PSEA President Aaron Chapin. “But politicians in Washington are executing a plan to dismantle public education and defund critical services that our students and communities rely on. These policies are written by billionaires, not educators.”
Many of these policies mirror Project 2025, a blueprint to expand the president’s power over the executive branch and weaken the independence of federal agencies while phasing out federal funding for public schools. OMB Director Russell Vought was one of Project 2025’s authors.
“The Trump administration’s idea to fire thousands of federal employees because of the shutdown is part of this broader plan,” Chapin said. “It will hamstring essential public services across the country, including critical services and funding that public school students rely on every day.”
PSEA is mobilizing against these attacks. In the weeks ahead, the union will share more about how members can push back against efforts to dismantle public schools and the rights of working people.
