Step prepared for dismantling DOE
Unclear is current draft of order will be adopted
By: Zachary Schermele
and Joey Garisoon
USA Today
WASHINGTON - A preliminary executive order prepared for President Donald Trump seeks to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education to "the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law," according to a draft reviewed by USA Today.
..... Trump is expected to sign an order directing Linda McMahon, the newly installed education secretary, to dismantle the agency she oversees, multiple media outlets reported.
..... Since only Congress can abolish federal agencies, the decree would set up a new test for the bounds of presidential authority. And it has the potential to create a new wave of anxiety about the billions of congressionally appropriated dollars that regularly flow through the Education Department to schools and students. A copy of a draft order directs McMahon to "take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities." It was unclear whether this draft of the executive order, which has been in the works for weeks, is the version that Trump is now contemplating.
..... The White House would not confirm Trump's plan to sign the order or that executive action seeking to dismantle the department is imminent.
..... Trump campaigned to eliminate the Department of Education, which Republicans have long accused of holding too much power over local and state education policy, even though the federal government has no control over school curriculum. Trump told reporters last month [02/2025] that he hopes McMahon eventually puts herself "out of a job."
..... The potential decree - which was reported by the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post and NPR - comes after McMahon, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Monday, [03/03/2025]
laid out what she called the "final mission" of the agency. That vision, she said in a message to staffers is to "end the overreach from Washington."
.....
"This restoration will profoundly impact staff budgets, and agency operations here at the Department, she wrote. "In coming months, we will partner with Congress and other federal agencies to determine the best pat forward to fulfill the expectations of the President and the American people."
..... McMahon did not, however, explicitly call on Monday [03/03/2025] for the total abolition of the Education Department.
..... In her public statement on the subject, she has walked a fine line since Trump tapped her to manage the agency. Her boss has repeatedly signaled he intends to shutter the department. A few weeks ago, he said he wanted it "closed immediately."
..... But McMahon admitted during the Senate confirmation hearing last month [02/2025] that the agency "clearly could not be shut down without" congressional approval. She also stressed that key funding streams such as Pell Grants, federal student loans and Title I financial assistance for low-income schools - would not be affected by the Trump administration's efforts to downsize.
..... Yet the president's broader rapid-fire agenda has already disrupted major segments of the American education system. The Education Department has been beset with layoffs, buyouts and administrative turnover, which has caused frustration internally and is already hampering its functions.
..... Another "very significant" reduction in workforce is coming, the agency's human resources chief warned employees late last week, before urging them to take a $25,000 offer to quit or resign within days.