President Trump moves to eliminate the Department of Education
President Donald Trump has made it official, signing an executive order to begin the process of eliminating the Federal Department of Education.
(NBC)- President Donald Trump has made it official, signing an executive order to begin the process of eliminating the Federal Department of Education. The move is a step toward fulfilling a longstanding campaign promise and a key conservative goal: transferring full control of education oversight to the states, where curriculum decisions are already made and most school funding occurs.
At a public event, Trump declared, “To begin eliminating the Federal Department of Education once and for all,” to applause from supporters. However, the proposal has sparked significant backlash from protesters across the country. From Denver to Missouri, including teachers’ union leaders, there are concerns about what would be lost at the federal level. Noelle Gilzow, president of the CMNEA, expressed worries about essential programs that could be affected. “What it does fund are free and reduced lunches, special ed programs. They’re hurting kids,” she said.
Abolishing the department completely would require an act of Congress, and Democrats have voiced strong opposition. Despite this, the White House and Education Secretary Linda McMahon have promised that core services, such as managing student loans, Pell Grants, and supporting special education, will continue. McMahon said, “We are looking at what other things we might transfer that might not need congressional approval at this point.”
Some state education leaders are supportive of the efforts to reduce federal red tape, including Frank Edelblut, New Hampshire’s Commissioner of Education. He believes the move will allow for better optimization of funds. “Optimizing the funds for the students, the parents and the teachers by allowing these processes to get closer to where they are being used,” he said.
While the president pushes forward on his education agenda, the Justice Department faces a new deadline today to fully address questions about deportation flights involving alleged Venezuelan gang members. A federal judge is seeking to determine if the White House defied his court order, criticizing previous answers as insufficient.White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded, “We think it’s egregious that a single district judge is trying to tell the president of the United States who he can and cannot deport from our soil.” This is part of a growing conflict between the administration and federal courts.
Elon Musk is set to visit the Pentagon today for a meeting and briefing, including discussions on China, though reports about a potential briefing on U.S. military plans for war with China were denied by President Trump.
