US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing officials to begin demolition of the Department of Education, a promise he made on the 2024 Campaign Trail.
“We’re going to shut it down as soon as possible,” Trump said after signing the order Thursday. “It’s not doing us well.”
Trump has long called for the division to be x, a key goal for some conservatives, but closing it completely requires Congressional approval — that’s unlikely.
The move already faces legal challenges from those seeking to block agency closures, as well as widespread cuts to staff announced last week.
Trump said “The US spends far more money on education than any other country,” but students “rank near the bottom of the list in terms of success.”
The White House said his administration will move to cut back on some of the sectors remaining within legal boundaries.
But many of the Trump administration’s initiatives aimed at mass shootings, cutting federal agencies and cutting spending face legal challenges, and the executive order is expected to encounter similar obstacles.
At the ceremony, Trump praised Linda McMahon, whom he appointed to lead the department, expressing his hope that she will become the last Secretary of Education. He said she would find “something else” to do within the administration.
After Trump signed the order, Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy announced plans to bring up a law aimed at closing the department.
However, it is unlikely that Congress will act on removing the division as Republicans hold a slim 53-47 majority in the Senate. It takes 60 votes to close the department, and such laws would be very unlikely.
But even if the department wasn’t officially closed, the Trump administration was able to destroy its funds and staff, as it did with the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
The executive order text does not include details on what actions the administration will take or which programs will be x.
It orders McMahon to take all necessary steps to promote the closure of the sector” and grants state and local governments the power to such issues while “ensure effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs and benefits that Americans rely on.”
Founded in 1979, the education department oversees public school funding, manages student loans, and operates programs that support low-income students.
Trump accused young people of indoctrinating them with racial, sexual and political sources.
The common misconception is that the department operates US schools and sets curriculums, which are done by states and local districts.
Additionally, a relatively small percentage of primary and secondary school funding (approximately 13%) comes from federal funding. Most are made up of state and local groups.
The institution also plays a prominent role in managing and overseeing the federal student loans used by millions of Americans to pay for higher education.
Soon after she was sworn in, McMahon sent a note to the department’s 4,400 employees entitled “Our Department Final Mission.”
“This is the last and unforgettable opportunity for future generations of students to provide public services,” she writes.
“When our ultimate mission is complete, please join me so that I can say that I left American education with stronger, stronger and more hope for the future.”
Previous reports suggest that Trump will consider closing some of the department’s programs and sending other programs to various departments, including the Treasury Department.
Trump and fellow Republicans accused the department of promoting “awakening” political ideology, and say the department is promoting liberal views on gender and race.
America’s largest teachers union recently denounced Trump’s plans, saying “I don’t care about opportunities for all children.”
In its statement, AFT said:
“But don’t use “awakening war” to attack children living in poverty and disabled children to pay for billionaires’ vouchers and tax cuts. ”
Most US children attend public schools. Public schools are free to govern by local officials. Almost all of their funds are made by the state and local taxes and curriculum decisions by the state government and school districts.
The current Cabinet Level Division was established by the Congress at the end of 1979.
Two years later, former Republican President Ronald Reagan launched a call to save money and revert it to support “local needs and preferences.”
With 4,400 employees, it is the smallest institution in the president’s cabinet, accounting for less than 2% of the total federal budget.
Some of these staff have been affected by the drastic workforce cuts of the Trump administration, led by the government’s Department of Efficiency (DOGE), and many have been encouraged to retire, fire or take paid administrative leave.
The agency’s layoffs will affect nearly 2,100 people scheduled to take leave starting March 21.
Doge’s efforts to cut, radically restructure, or simply eliminate federal spending, are overseen by tech billionaire Elon Musk.
