Republicans have talked about closing the Education Department for decades, saying it wastes taxpayer money and inserts the federal government into decisions that should fall to states and schools. The idea has gained popularity recently as conservative parents\u2019 groups demand more authority over their children\u2019s schooling.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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In his platform, Trump promised to close the department \u201cand send it back to the states, where it belongs.\u201d Trump has cast the department as a hotbed of \u201cradicals, zealots and Marxists\u201d who overextend their reach through guidance and regulation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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At the same time, Trump has leaned on the Education Department to promote elements of his agenda. He has used investigative powers of the Office for Civil Rights and the threat of withdrawing federal education funding to target schools and colleges that run afoul of his orders on transgender athletes participating in women’s sports, pro-Palestinian activism and diversity programs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Even some of Trump\u2019s allies have questioned his power to close the agency without action from Congress, and there are doubts about its political popularity. The House considered an amendment to close the agency in 2023, but 60 Republicans joined Democrats in opposing it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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During Trump\u2019s first term, former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos sought to dramatically reduce the agency\u2019s budget and asked Congress to bundle all K-12 funding into block grants that give states more flexibility in how they spend federal money. It was rejected, with pushback from some Republicans.<\/p>\n