Trump to issue an EO Thurs directing his newly confirmed education secy to close the dept she now leads, 2 people familiar said.
A draft of the executive order that circulated on Wed recognizes that Trump does not have the power to shutter the Education Dept. It would take an act of Congress & 60 yes votes in the Senate, which is unlikely given Republicans hold only 53 seats.
Rather, the ExecutiveOrder calls on Trump’s Education Secy Linda McMahon [former professional wrestling promoter] to “take all necessary steps” to facilitate the closure of the dept “to the maximum extent appropriate & permitted by law.”
Officials including McMahon have suggested that might include trying to shift some of the agency’s functions to other parts of government, but that also would face legal hurdles, as the agency’s major programs are assigned, by law, to the Education Dept.
More likely is a continuation of what has already begun at the agency: deep cuts to staff, programs & grants. The Education Dept has already warned of a “very significant” reduction in force, or RIF, in the short term.
The draft was labeled “pre-decisional.” One person familiar with the matter confirmed that the draft was legitimate but cautioned that its details could change before it is issued. The Trump White House declined to comment.
The Education Dept administers federal grant programs, including the $18.4B TitleI program that provides supplemental funding to high-poverty K-12 #schools, as well as the $15.5B program that helps cover the cost of education for students with disabilities. The dept also oversees the $1.6T federal StudentLoan program & sets rules for what colleges must do to participate.
The Executive Order is cast as returning power over education to states & local communities, as Trump has repeatedly promised to do. It does not recognize that K12 schools, as well as public universities & colleges, are ALREADY controlled almost entirely by states & local communities. The federal government, by law, may not control school curriculum.
While Trump suggests the federal govt is doing too much on education, he also demands that it do more. The ExecutiveOrder is expected to amplify Trump’s call for schools to excise *illegal discrimination* in the *guise* of diversity, equity & inclusion programs or risk losing federal funding, which accounts for about 10% of K12 public school dollars & a significant share of higher education funding.
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