United States President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to initiate the process of dismantling the U.S. Department of Education.
The signing ceremony, held in the East Room of the White House, was attended by schoolchildren, Republican governors, and key administration officials.
The executive order instructs McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the States while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely,” according to a White House statement.
Trump, speaking at the event, emphasized his long-standing criticism of the department, stating: “We’re going to shut it down once and for all. It’s failed our children, and now it’s time for the states to take control.”
This comes as Trump had promised to decentralize education as he campaigned for a return to the White House, saying he would devolve the department’s powers to state governments.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified earlier today that the department will not be entirely dissolved immediately, with “critical functions” like student loans and Pell Grants.
Leavitt said: “The Department of Education will be much smaller than it is today. This is to greatly minimize the agency. So when it comes to student loans and Pell grants, those will still be run out of the Department of Education.”
The Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that eliminating the department would require congressional approval.
Congress established the Department of Education in 1979 during President Jimmy Carter’s administration, and any effort to abolish the department would face major obstacles from Democrats in the Republican-controlled Senate, where 60 votes are required to overcome a filibuster and advance a measure to a final vote.
