The Trump administration is working on an executive order to start the process of getting rid of the Department of Education. This is part of President Trump’s plan to fulfill his campaign promises. According to sources, the order will tell the Education Secretary to come up with a plan to reduce the department’s role, and Trump will also ask Congress to pass a law to officially end it.
On Tuesday, Trump mentioned that he wants his chosen Education Secretary, Linda McMahon, to “put herself out of a job.” McMahon, who previously led the Small Business Administration under Trump, has not yet had her confirmation hearing.
Calls to eliminate the Education Department are not new, but such efforts have often failed in Congress. During Trump’s first term, there was a proposal to merge the Education and Labor Departments, but it didn’t succeed, even with Republican majorities in Congress.
Currently, the Education Department is also under scrutiny from the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk. Recently, many employees at the Education Department were put on paid leave as part of Trump’s efforts to reduce the federal workforce tied to diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Throughout his campaign, Trump criticized the Education Department, claiming it represents too much government control and ties to cultural issues. He expressed concerns about U.S. education, stating that despite spending more money per student than any other country, the U.S. ranks poorly in education. He prefers that states have more control over education.
If the Education Department is dissolved, some programs and funding may move to other agencies, as they were before 1979 when the department was established. Federally funded programs for K-12 schools, which support low-income students and children with disabilities, existed before the department was created.Historically, Congress has resisted budget cuts to the Education Department, often providing more funding than the president requests. Even during Trump’s first term, when cuts were proposed, Congress ultimately increased funding.
