Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Year : 2, Issue: 23/strong>
Agencies: US President Donald Trump is planning an executive order to defund and dismantle the Education Department, aiming for its eventual closure, fulfilling a longtime conservative goal, according to local media.
About 20 staff members from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency – a new advisory committee, not a Cabinet division like education – have joined the Education Department to cut costs and trim staff, according to The Washington Post.
Conservatives strongly criticized the Education Department under former President Joe Biden, especially over student loan forgiveness and expanded LGBTQ protections.
Some Republicans have suggested it would be better to wait until Trump’s nominee for education secretary, Linda McMahon, has her Senate confirmation hearings. Her confirmation has been delayed as the government ethics office reviews her paperwork, according to a Senate aide, the Post reported.
The executive order will not shut down the department, as only Congress can do that. While legislation to eliminate it is possible, it would require 60 Senate votes, including support from at least seven Democrats, who generally support the department.
US conservatives have long argued that education should be a local responsibility, also claiming that liberals try to use federal mandates to promote left-wing ideas.
