Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on the Department of Education's announcement that it is inking yet another Inter-Agency Agreement (IAA) to illegally spin off core departmental responsibilities-this time with the Department of the Treasury as it relates to federal student aid programs.

"Instead of helping student borrowers get the support they need, Secretary McMahon is focused on illegally hollowing out the department she leads and creating new, harmful bureaucracy while she's at it.

"Despite all this administration's talk about creating efficiency, the fact is these agreements simply create pointless new red tape-while threatening basic services and support that students depend on every day. Are student borrowers eventually going to have to talk to two agencies to get the help they need? Will basic oversight and communication simply fall through the cracks? Is Secretary Bessent going to eventually administer the FAFSA? What is already falling through the cracks because this administration is more focused on dismantling the Department of Education than helping students? That's what's at stake and what this administration and Republicans must answer for.

"Republicans in Congress could have joined us to put an end to these illegal agreements in our most recent funding bill. Unfortunately, they chose not to. But we've got to all keep speaking up and pushing back so students get the help and support they are entitled to by law."

Senator Murray has aggressivelypushedbackagainst Secretary McMahon's efforts to dismantle the Department, including through the illegal use of IAAs, and she fought to insert ironclad language in the fiscal year 2026 funding bill for the Department that would bar Secretary McMahon's use of IAAs to dismantle the Department-but Republicans refused to include new, binding language. The final agreement did, however, make clear there is no legal authority for the Department of Education to slough off core responsibilities through these agreements.

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