The Trump administration is exploring significant cuts to programs and staff at the U.S. Department of Education, potentially including executive action to shutter department programs not protected by law and calling on Congress to close the department entirely. The move comes after the administration placed dozens of Education Department staff on paid administrative leave with little explanation.
The Trump administration is exploring significant cuts to programs and staff at the U.S. Department of Education, potentially including executive action to shutter department programs not protected by law and calling on Congress to close the department entirely. According to multiple government sources, this executive action could come as early as this week.
This move follows the Trump administration's recent placement of dozens of Education Department staff on paid administrative leave with little explanation, citing only that the actions stemmed from President Trump's decisions. This news has unsettled department staff and is sure to be a prominent topic in the Senate confirmation hearing for Trump's nominee to be education secretary, Linda McMahon, although the hearing date has yet to be scheduled. The department, with approximately 4,400 employees and a $79 billion annual budget, has broad responsibility over three major areas: managing around $1.6 trillion in federal student loan debt, overseeing implementation and enforcement of the nation's special education law, and administering Title I, the primary federal program aimed at improving outcomes for lower-income students.While the executive action is expected to outline substantial cuts to the Education Department and even call for its closure, it's important to note that the department cannot be closed through executive action alone. Congress holds the ultimate power to determine the fate of the Education Department. Whether there are enough votes in Congress to close the department remains a separate and significant question. House Republicans have previously attempted and failed to close the department, and Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in both the House and Senate.This situation becomes more complex when examining potential cuts to specific programs. While the president and his education secretary may have discretion to make some cuts, particularly focusing on programs not created by Congress and therefore not protected by statute, the majority of the Education Department's work, including its most prominent programs, are protected by statute. This includes crucial federal funding streams for public schools such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which assists districts in serving students with disabilities. Significant changes to either IDEA or Title I are unlikely as they enjoy broad bipartisan support. In the past, proposals from the Trump administration, including shifting Title I funding into a block grant similar to Project 2025, have been met with resistance from Congress, which has instead approved modest funding increases. Legal experts argue that any substantial alterations to these programs would necessitate a new vote from Congress.Despite these constraints, the Trump administration continues to explore various options to reduce the Education Department's influence. One possibility involves transferring one or more of the department's signature responsibilities to a different government agency, effectively diminishing the Education Department's power without completely closing it. However, significant shifts, such as moving the Office of Federal Student Aid and its massive student loan portfolio to the Treasury Department, as proposed in Project 2025, would almost certainly require Congressional approval. Analysts suggest that the administration's current actions might be testing the boundaries of its authority, and the ultimate outcome remains uncertain. Legal challenges and Congressional oversight are likely to play a major role in shaping the future of the Education Department.In the meantime, the Trump administration has already begun implementing smaller-scale staff reductions. According to Sheria Smith, president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, a union representing approximately 2,800 non-management Education Department employees, at least 74 non-management staff have been placed on paid administrative leave in recent days. Several staff members who have been placed on leave have shared their stories with NPR, but they requested anonymity for fear of losing their jobs completely
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TRUMP ADMINISTRATION EXECUTIVE ACTION CONGRESS BUDGET CUTS
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