A Republican senator will introduce legislation to speed up the process in Congress
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education, a measure that will require the approval of the US Congress and seeks to return educational powers to the states.
“When President Carter created the Department of Education in 1979, members of his own cabinet opposed it,” the magnate recalled, adding that “45 years after” that measure, the United States “spends far more money on education than any other country” and, despite this, is not achieving satisfactory results.
In this regard, Trump argued that the country is lagging behind in subjects like math. “We will return the management of education to the states, where it belongs. It’s a popular thing, but very important: common sense,” he added.
The magnate, who called the measure “historic,” defended the decree—which urges Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take “all necessary measures” to facilitate the closure of the federal agency—surrounded by children sitting in school desks.
“The Department of Education currently manages a student loan portfolio of more than $1.6 trillion. This means that the federal student aid program is roughly the size of one of the largest banks in the country, Wells Fargo,” the executive order states.
He also specified that Wells Fargo has more than 200,000 employees, compared to the Department of Education, which has 1,500 employees in its student-focused office. “The Department of Education is not a bank,” the text adds.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt indicated earlier in a press conference that the Department of Education will continue to manage student loans, scholarships, and grants, and that the goal of the measure is to “reduce” the bulk of its functions.
“We do not need to spend more than three trillion over several decades on a department that has clearly failed in its original intent to educate our students,” she said, referring to the measure, which will involve transferring most of the agency’s functions to other departments.
The executive order, which will have to overcome a Senate impasse, responds to Trump’s campaign promises to significantly reduce the state structure, a policy that has had its epicenter in the controversial “government efficiency” office led by billionaire Elon Musk.
“Closing the Department does not mean cutting funding to those who depend on it: we will continue to support students from elementary and secondary school, those with special needs, college students, and others who rely on essential programs,” reads a statement from the department itself.
In this regard, he emphasized that the goal is to “responsibly eliminate bureaucracy.” To this end, they will seek to “work” with Congress “to ensure a legal and orderly transition.” With today’s action, we take an important step toward giving parents and states control over their children’s education,” he concluded.
Later, Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, chairman of the Health Committee, announced that he will introduce legislation on the matter. “Given that the Department can only be closed with congressional approval, I will support the president’s goals by introducing legislation to achieve this as soon as possible,” he stated in a message posted on social media.
