Donald Trump, U.S. President is all set to sign an executive order on Thursday for discontinuing the Department of Education. This order completely reflects with his campaign promises. Democratic State attorneys general have already filed a law case to stop the closure of Department of Education. The ongoing opposition stands together to stop mass layoff of employees.
Donald Trump’s Plan to Close the Department of Education
Donald Trump and his close adviser, billionaire Elon Musk, have previously attempted to shut down other government agencies without Congress’s approval. However, this is Trump’s first attempt to close a cabinet-level agency. Since the Department of Education was created in 1979, Trump has often criticized it, calling it a “big con job.”
The executive order instructs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take necessary steps to close the agency and transfer education responsibilities back to the individual states. The order also states that any remaining education programs should not support “DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) or gender ideology.”
Apart from the fact that Donald Trump is looking forward to passing the order to close the Department of Education it requires the approval from Congress. The Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, and will need at least seven Democrats’ approval towards this order to move ahead with the majority of 60 votes necessary for legislation. So far, Senate Democrats have shown no intention of supporting the closure.
What Would Happen If the Department Closes?
If Donald Trump passes the executive order to stop the operations of the Department of Education, it will have a severe impact on millions of students, schools, and educators in the USA. This Cabinet Department not only administers and looks upon the public and private schools but also provides financial aid, and funds special education programs.
The Department of Education is responsible for managing student loans, the closure of the department might bring several problems for student’s higher education needs, funding for low-income schools and many more.
McMahon has guaranteed that federal funds for schools will continue though the experts have clearly warned that the closure of The Department of Education will lead to serious problems in the country’s educational system and will lead to some major disturbances amongst the students and teachers in America.
Legal Battle Against Trump’s Decision
Twenty states and the District of Columbia have teamed up to sue over the President’s actions. They say cuts at the recently transformed Department of Education-upfront laying off big numbers of employees-will keep that agency from fulfilling its legally mandated duties. The department recently reported it would lay off some 1,300 people, trimming its employment half from 4,133 to 2,183. All these layoffs are part of Trump’s overall larger goal of downsizing the federal government.
Specifically, the lawsuit filed in a federal court in Boston alleges that he violates the Constitution of the United States by acting like he can shut down the department of the federal government rather than through Congress. It also argues that McMahon is not permitted to remove or transfer the department’s functions to another agency without approval.
Arguments Pro and Con About Closure
Trumpist’s see that the Department of Education has spent over $3 trillion since its founding to create improvements in the pupils’ results. They insist that education is a matter of administration at the state and local level, not federal control.
The opponents, however, stress the integral position of the department in keeping up the education standards in America and that getting rid of it would hurt the students who benefit from federal financial assistance, special education funding, and grants for school improvements.
Then What? Although Trump’s order is signed, the Department of Education cannot be shut down immediately. Legislation has to be passed to close the department officially by Congress, and such an occurrence seems far-fetched right now, with the current opposition within politics. The legal battle also takes a long time before it finally decides itself, so the department’s future is uncertain.
Edited By Saumya Sharan
