Topline
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday which he said will “eliminate” the Department of Education, though the department will still keep some functions, including Title I and student loans, under federal control, as Trump expressed hope Congress would officially shutter the department.
President Donald Trump speaks to the press before boarding Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base … More
AFP via Getty ImagesKey Facts
Trump said his administration wants to shut down the Department of Education “as quickly as possible,” adding “we want to return our students to the states,” though it would ultimately take Congressional approval to formally close the department.
The order is designed to give states control over education, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters earlier Thursday, though the federal government will still be responsible for administering Title I funding, Pell grants, student loans, special education funding and enforcement of civil rights laws, among other “critical functions.”
Trump, for weeks, has been expected to sign an order to deconstruct the agency Republicans have long claimed is a product of bureaucratic bloat.
The White House claimed in a fact sheet on the forthcoming executive order “there has been virtually no measurable improvement in student achievement” since the Education Department was created in 1979, arguing it has failed to improve standardized test scores and proficiency in math and reading.
The order is only one step in dismantling the department, and firings at the agency have already prompted a lawsuit from Democratic state attorneys general.
Contra
The total elimination of the Education Department would require approval from Congress, which is controlled by Republicans. However, if a supermajority is needed in the Senate, at least seven Democrats would need to vote in favor of eliminating the department. Prior to signing the executive order, Trump said he hopes Democrats “will be voting for” the department’s elimination.
Key Background
Trump has long-promised to effectively shut down the agency, calling for it to be “closed immediately” last month and for Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “put herself out of a job.” His administration has already taken steps to slash the agency’s workforce, announcing earlier this month it would eliminate half of the 4,000 positions. The department was established by statute under President Jimmy Carter in 1979. Federal dollars now account for about 10% of public school funding.
Further Reading
21 Democratic Attorneys General Sue Trump Administration Over Education Department Cuts (Forbes)
Trump Plans To Sign Executive Order Today Dismantling Education Department (Forbes)
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