The package would codify 10 of the administration’s 14 agreements outsourcing the Education Department’s programs to other federal agencies.
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House Republicans have now formally backed President Donald Trump in fulfilling his campaign promise to dismantle the Department of Education, voting Wednesday to advance 10 bills that would codify the White House’s efforts to disperse numerous education programs and offices to other federal agencies.
If passed, the legislation would make 10 of the Trump administration’s 14 interagency agreements permanent. Education Secretary Linda McMahon has described those agreements as a “proof of concept” that the government can function without an Education Department, and while they don’t fully transfer the decision-making power of ED to other agencies, they do shift a lot of operational responsibilities. The bills would go further, transferring all of the education secretary’s responsibilities to other agencies, including setting final grant competition policies and regulations.
All but one bill in the package passed with unanimous support from the GOP majority, who said they backed Trump’s plan because it would prevent waste, fraud and abuse in American education. The one bill that did not receive unanimous support would send the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education to the Department of Labor; Rep. Kevin Kiley from California—who recently changed his party affiliation from Republican to Independent but remains a part of the GOP caucus—was the sole lawmaker who voted against party lines.
