Washington — President Trump is expected to issue an executive order as soon as Thursday directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to start the process of dissolving the Education Department, CBS News confirmed.
Sources confirm the details of a Wall Street Journal report, which first reported the news, are accurate. According to the Journal, there is a draft version of the executive order.
Completely eliminating the department would require congressional approval and 60 votes in the Senate, which is unlikely given the current makeup.
Mr. Trump plans to sign the executive orders at 2 p.m. in the Oval Office, but it’s possible the Education Department order signing will be moved to a later date, sources told CBS News.
Dismantling the Department of Education has long been a goal for Republicans, dating back to the Reagan administration. Hours after McMahon was confirmed by the Senate, she issued a memo with the subject line “Our Department’s Final Mission.” The memo said “this is our opportunity to perform one final, unforgettable public service to future generations of students. I hope you will join me in ensuring that when our final mission is complete; we will be able to say that we left American education freer, stronger, and with more hope for the future.”
Randi Weingarten, the head of the nation’s largest teachers’ union, the AFT, issued a statement Thursday morning noting an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll with 63% of respondents “strongly opposed” to dismantling the Education Department.
“The Department of Education, and the laws it is supposed to execute, has one major purpose: to level the playing field and fill opportunity gaps to help every child in America succeed,” Weingarten said. “Trying to abolish it—which, by the way, only Congress can do—sends a message that the president doesn’t care about opportunity for all kids. Maybe he cares about it for his own kids or his friends’ kids or his donors’ kids—but not all kids.
What does the Department of Education do?
The Education Department is responsible for distributing federal financial aid for education, and for collecting and disseminating data and research related to schools. The department is also tasked with enforcing non-discrimination policies in schools. Its funds account for less than 10% of the nation’s public school funding, which is primarily driven by state and local taxes.
Generally, it supports federal college loan programs and Pell Grants, and also vocational training.
contributed to this report.
