President Trump’s executive order to close the Department of Education has ignited a legal battle, with critics warning it could destabilize $1.6 trillion in student loans and strip funding from low-income schools.
Reuters has obtained a synopsis from the White House that states that U.S. President Donald Trump would fulfill a campaign promise by signing an executive order on Thursday that seeks to close the Department of Education.
A coalition of Democratic state attorneys general challenged the order before to its signature. They had sued to prevent Trump from destroying the department and to stop the layoffs of around half of its employees, which were announced last week.
Not only that, but the prominent civil rights organization the NAACP also denounced the anticipated directive as unlawful.
According to a statement by NAACP President Derrick Johnson, this is a “dark day” for the millions of American students, particularly those from low-income and rural areas whose parents supported Trump in the election, who rely on government funds to attend a good school.
While Trump and his billionaire advisor Elon Musk have tried to defund government programs and institutions like USAID without congressional approval, Trump’s attempt to defund the Department of Education would be his first attempt to defund a cabinet-level agency.
Closing the agency would require legislation from Congress, which could be challenging for Trump to do. Even though Republicans under Trump have a 53-47 Senate majority, seven Democrats’ votes are necessary for big legislation to pass, like a plan to abolish a cabinet-level agency.
Democrats in the Senate have not indicated that they would back the elimination of the Education Department.
According to Democratic Senator Patty Murray, who is pledging to oppose what she referred to as Trump and Musk’s “slash and burn campaign,” the Department of Education is being razed by Trump and Musk, who are laying off half of its employees.
This order mandates that Linda McMahon, the secretary of education, must take all appropriate actions to allow the Department of Education to be closed and the states to regain control over education. At the same time, she must keep the services, programs, and benefits that the American people depend on running smoothly and without interruption.
The White House summary states that it establishes a prohibition on the use of remaining Department of Education money for programs or activities that promote DEI or gender ideology.
Over and over again, Trump has demanded the department’s dissolution, claiming it is a massive scam. Even though he wanted to close it during his first time in office, Congress never got around to it.
Trump expressed his desire to abolish the agency quickly last month, but he recognized that he would want support from Congress and teachers’ unions to make this happen.
In its summary, the White House stated that the federal government’s role in education has been ineffective, failing both kids and parents as well as educators. Despite spending more than $3 trillion since its inception in 1979, the department failed to improve student achievement as indicated by standardized test scores, according to the report.
From 1953 until 1979, the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare oversaw education. This department was later reorganized into the current department.
On Tuesday, McMahon stated on “The David Webb Show” on SiriusXM that the administration’s objective was to promote innovation and state-level best practices in education.
“The Department of Education doesn’t educate anyone. It doesn’t hire teachers. It doesn’t establish curriculum. It doesn’t hire school boards or superintendents,” she clarified.
Proponents of the department argue that it is essential for maintaining good standards in public education and that Republicans are attempting to promote for-profit education. K-12 and higher education funding totaling tens of billions of dollars could be jeopardized if the government were to shut down tomorrow.
Senate confirmation of WWE co-founder and former CEO Vince McMahon took place on Monday. McMahon had previously supported Trump’s intentions to dismantle the agency, but he had assured low-income school districts and students that federal school funding would remain in place.
Student loans and assistance for children with impairments were formally recognized in law, according to a source acquainted with the ruling, and will remain so.
The United States Department of Education is in charge of 34,000 private schools and 100,000 public schools; however, state and local governments provide over 85% of the funding for public schools. It distributes government funds to low-income educational institutions and initiatives, such as those that pay special education teachers, support artistic programs, and upgrade antiquated facilities.
Tens of millions of Americans owe $1.6 trillion in student loans because they can’t afford to pay for college outright. It also oversees these loans.
After the department announced plans to lay off more than 1,300 employees as part of the agency’s final mission, attorney generals general from 20 states and the DC filed a lawsuit in federal court in Boston last week.
Along with other staff cuts implemented as part of Trump’s massive drive to reduce the federal government, including buyout offers and the dismissal of probationary employees, the department would see a further reduction in personnel, bringing the total number of workers to 2,183 from 4,133 when Trump took office in January.
The lawsuit asserts that the agency will be unable to carry out its statutory duties, such as those pertaining to civil rights, due to the enormous layoffs, which would constitute an infringement of Congress’s jurisdiction and the U.S. Constitution.
It stated that McMahon cannot, without the proper legislative authority, transfer the department’s responsibilities to another agency or abolish or disrupt functions that are required by statute.
Luis Gochoco is a seasoned managing editor and writer with over a decade of experience covering politics, technology, gaming, and entertainment news. With a keen eye for breaking stories and in-depth analysis, he has established himself as a trusted voice in digital journalism. Luis is one of the key forces behind the success of GameNGuide, contributing to 12 million views through engaging and high-traffic content. He also played a pivotal role in generating 8 million views on International Business Times, shaping the platform’s technology and gaming coverage.
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