President Donald Trump’s administration is moving forward with plans to eliminate the Department of Education, signaling a significant shift in federal education policy. The proposed executive order aims to kickstart the process of dismantling the department, with a dual approach outlined. Firstly, the order would task the Education Secretary with developing a plan to reduce the department’s size through executive actions. Secondly, Trump seeks congressional support to pass legislation that would officially abolish the department, recognizing that such a move would require legislative approval.

Despite previous attempts to merge the Education Department with other federal agencies and calls to abolish it altogether, past efforts have faced resistance in Congress. Notably, a previous proposal to merge the Education and Labor Departments during Trump’s first term did not progress, despite Republican control of both the Senate and House of Representatives. Furthermore, the Education Department is currently under scrutiny from the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, with recent actions including placing Education Department employees on administrative leave.

Trump’s campaign rhetoric emphasized the department as a symbol of government overreach and vowed to end what he perceived as misuse of taxpayer funds for youth education. While the potential elimination of the department raises questions about the fate of existing programs and funding, historical data suggests that Congress has often resisted budget cuts to the department, frequently allocating more funding than requested by the president. This ongoing tug-of-war highlights the complexities and implications of proposed changes to federal education policy.