Trump to Take Bold Step in Shutting Down Department of Education
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Former U.S. President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order on Thursday (local time) with the goal of dismantling the U.S. Department of Education fulfilling one of his campaign promises according to senior administration officials cited by USA Today. The signing ceremony will take place at the White House attended by several Republican governors and state education commissioners. Under the order Trump will direct Education Secretary Linda McMahon to shut down the Department of Education and transfer education-related powers back to the states. The order also stipulates that essential services programs and benefits for American citizens will continue uninterrupted.
This executive order will test the limits of presidential power. Trump’s administration previously attempted to dissolve the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) but that effort was blocked by a Federal District Court in Maryland this week. Although the Department of Education established in 1978 as a cabinet-level agency will not be immediately dismantled Congressional approval will be necessary to fully abolish it. Despite a reduction in staff at the Department of Education in recent weeks the agency remains operational and continues to manage key federal funding programs for schools. White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields explained that the order would "empower parents states and communities to improve outcomes for all students." Federal funding for students with disabilities Title I funding for low-income schools and federal student loan payments will not be affected by the order.
Several Republican governors, including Florida's Ron DeSantis, Virginia's Glenn Youngkin, Texas's Greg Abbott, and Ohio's Mike DeWine, are expected to attend the signing ceremony. Republican lawmakers have long criticized the federal government for its influence over local and state education policies, despite the federal government not controlling school curricula. The executive order follows the issuance of termination notices to over 1,300 Department of Education employees last week as part of broader job cuts under the Federal Government Efficiency Department's workforce reduction initiative.
