plowunited.net – Former President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order directing the closure of the U.S. Department of Education. White House officials confirmed that the signing will take place at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday. The order tasks Education Secretary Linda McMahon with initiating the shutdown process and transferring authority to individual states. Although a full closure would still require an act of Congress, the administration plans to begin scaling back operations immediately.
McMahon has already cut the department’s workforce by 50%, calling the move the first phase in executing Trump’s directive. “The president has made it clear—our job is to eliminate bureaucratic bloat and return control to the states,” she said. In a recent message to department staff, she emphasized that the administration would carry out this mandate swiftly and responsibly.
Trump has long criticized the Education Department as unnecessary federal overreach, suggesting he could gain enough support from Congress—if not the teachers unions—to achieve full closure.
Closure Faces Legal Hurdles but Could Cripple Department Functionally
While the executive order marks a major step toward dismantling the federal agency, formally eliminating the Department of Education requires congressional approval. Trump and McMahon hope to influence lawmakers by making it increasingly difficult for the agency to function. This approach mirrors the administration’s treatment of other federal agencies, such as USAID.
McMahon said she would continue to collaborate with Congress, as she pledged during her Senate confirmation. However, she acknowledged that political opposition—especially from teachers unions and Democratic lawmakers—remains a significant obstacle. No Democrats voted to confirm her to the role.
Despite the uncertainty, Trump remains confident that he can find a path forward. “We’d have to work with the teachers union,” he said, “because they’re the only ones opposed to it.”
Democrats Condemn Trump’s Push to Dismantle Education Department
Senator Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, sharply criticized Donald Trump and Elon Musk for attempting to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. Murray accused both men of “robbing students and families of critical funding” and said their actions will severely harm children and educators nationwide. She pointed to staffing cuts that undermine civil rights enforcement and access to financial aid, warning that families will suffer when protections disappear.
“The effects of Trump and Musk’s slash-and-burn campaign will be felt across our state,” Murray said in a statement. “This issue is personal for me, and for every single family. We cannot relent in this fight.” She emphasized that students with disabilities, low-income communities, and families relying on the department’s support services would bear the brunt of the damage.
Murray and other Democrats are preparing legislative responses to block the order, while attorneys general across the country are turning to the courts.
Also Read: Google Launches Gemma 3: Faster, Smarter AI Models
States Challenge Trump’s Executive Order in Court
A coalition of 21 Democratic state attorneys general filed a lawsuit to block Trump’s move to eliminate the Department of Education. Their legal challenge argues that the president lacks the authority to shut down an agency created by Congress. The lawsuit insists that Trump’s executive order violates the separation of powers by undermining laws that give the department its responsibilities and allocate federal funding.
“Neither the president nor his agencies can undo acts of Congress,” the lawsuit states. It claims that actions taken to defund or restructure the department without congressional approval are unconstitutional. The plaintiffs specifically cited the March 11 staff cuts as unlawful and warned that more federal protections for students are now at risk.
Funding Cuts Target Equity Programs and Student Protections
Trump’s executive order instructs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to stop funding programs that support diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), or gender identity initiatives. The order follows a broader administration push to defund agencies that support civil rights protections or what Trump calls “left-wing ideology.”
The Department of Education, one of the smallest cabinet agencies, had a $268 billion budget last year. While it doesn’t set school curricula, it enforces federal education law and manages key programs, including special education funding and student loans. It also ensures civil rights compliance in public schools and universities.
The department recently opened investigations into over 50 universities accused of racial exclusion in graduate programs. Critics now fear those investigations—and broader oversight—could stall under the order’s restrictions.
Education Advocates Warn of Harm to Vulnerable Students if Department Closes
Education leaders and advocates are voicing alarm over former President Donald Trump’s push to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, warning that dismantling the agency would be devastating for America’s most vulnerable students. National Education Association President Becky Pringle said the closure could increase class sizes, cut job training programs, and make higher education unaffordable for millions of middle-class families.
“If successful, Trump’s continued actions will hurt all students,” Pringle stated. She emphasized that students with disabilities could lose access to vital services and that civil rights protections would be weakened. Pringle also accused Trump and Elon Musk of targeting public schools to finance tax cuts for the wealthy.
Keri Rodrigues, president of the National Parents Union, echoed those concerns. She warned that eliminating federal oversight would disproportionately impact children from historically marginalized communities. “The Department of Education was created to ensure equity,” Rodrigues said. “Removing it would erase decades of progress and leave countless children behind.”
Critics Say Trump’s Plan Threatens National Education Standards
Trump has consistently argued that education policy should return to the states. During a campaign event in Michigan last year, he declared, “Your state is going to control your children’s education. We’re moving it out of Washington immediately.” He suggested that other federal agencies could take over current Education Department responsibilities, such as student loan oversight.
Trump’s vision aligns with his broader efforts to reduce federal influence over state and local affairs. However, critics argue that this plan threatens national education standards and protections. DEI programs, which aim to improve access and opportunity in education, could be eliminated under Trump’s proposed changes.
Meanwhile, Education Secretary Linda McMahon has confirmed that at least three Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffers have been auditing the Education Department, signaling further steps toward dismantling it.
