Education Department paves way for its own destruction
The Department of Education is paving the way for its own destruction after laying off half of its workforce on Tuesday, leaving President Trump allies eager for more hits while the agency's defenders prepare legal action.
A senior department official said the layoffs, which came about a week after Education Secretary Linda McMahon was confirmed, were for “reductive” and “unnecessary” positions, emphasizing the move would not interfere with congressionally mandated programs.
While some see the next step in McMahon and Trump's stated plans to kill the department as moving those required programs to different government agencies, other groups are planning protests and waiting in the wings for the moment the department fails to meet its legal obligations.
“Trust me when I say that there are parents across this country who are going to be watching this very closely, and the minute there is not a direct compliance with statutory requirements, with federal law ... this and every move will be challenged in court,” said Keri Rodrigues, the president of the National Parents Union.
The Department of Education started with more than 4,000 employees when Trump took office. It only has 2,183 after Tuesday’s announcement.
The senior Education official admitted “every part of the department will be impacted in some way” after the major cuts but said only internal roles that were duplicative were targeted.
The agency said the move will not inhibit student aid, Free Application for Federal Student Aid forms, formula funding to states, operations for students with disabilities, civil rights investigations or any statute-mandated obligations from Congress.
But a former Department of Education employee, who asked for anonymity, said, "There's absolutely no way that the programs will be able to function for the American people with the reduction in staff that just occurred."
Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency have taken a hatchet to the federal workforce, laying off thousands across multiple government agencies and spurring a bevy of legal challenges. But the Education Department is unusual in that the cuts come while the president openly calls for expunging it completely.
Opponents argue McMahon's promise that core programs won’t change is meant to buy the administration time to keep up its dismantling efforts.
"Utter horse crap," Will Ragland, vice president of research for advocacy and outreach at the Center for American Progress, said about claims the department can handle its essential programs with half of the employees.
“Yesterday's move was a giant first step to their ultimate goal — to eliminating, not only the Department of Education, but likely a lot of the protections and funding ... [for] low-income students and students with disabilities,” added Ragland, who is also a former Education Department employee.
The department ordered employees home at 6 p.m. Tuesday and told them not to come into the office Wednesday due to “security concerns” after the mass layoff announcement.
While the staffers who remain are coming back into the office Thursday, so are the protesters.
The Sunrise Movement is calling for people to rally to “save our schools” Thursday in front of the Department of Education starting at 5 p.m. local time.
“We're hoping to draw attention to these cuts and also make it clear that young people are not going to stand by as Donald Trump attempts to steal our future,” said Denae Ávila-Dickson, communications manager for the activist group.
The former department employee who requested anonymity told The Hill civic action and pressure on Congress are a better short-term plan than lawsuits, which will take a long time.
“That is never a fast strategy, and a lot of stuff will be undone and hard to put back together again,” they said.
“I think that the thing that could be impactful is that if parents and communities are affected, reach out to their member of Congress to push back on some of this. I think that that's the better, shorter-term piece of it,” the former department employee added, pointing out there are budget votes coming up that lawmakers could use to curb McMahon’s power.
The president said McMahon was in charge of the layoffs, and the Education secretary told Fox News’s Laura Ingraham the cuts are the “first step of eliminating what I think is bureaucratic bloat.”
The department cannot be completely eliminated without an act of Congress, which stands little chance of overcoming the Senate's 60-vote threshold.
But actions such as firing employees or getting rid of programs not in statute are under the purview of the administration.
The abolishment of the department was one of Trump’s promises on his campaign trail and has been a Republican goal for years.
Jonathan Butcher, the Will Skillman senior research fellow in education policy at the Heritage Foundation, said he “certainly hopes” the department can keep up with its congressionally mandated programs, but he's looking ahead to when those programs are no longer under the its authority.
“The secretary has some authority to move programs to other agencies,” Butcher said.
“I think that would be a logical next step, although I think there are a couple of things that [department staffers] probably have in mind,” Butcher added, saying moving the programs is something they can do “before they need to really work with Congress” on shuttering the department completely.
-
Department of Education workforce slashed in half
The Department of Education says more than 2,100 civil service workers will lose their jobs. The department says all of its divisions are impacted by the reduction. NBC News’ Kelly O’Donnell ...NBC News - 1d -
Department of Education lays off nearly 50% of its workforce
Mass layoffs are impacted 1,315 employees of the Department of Education, sources told ABC News.ABC News - 11h -
Education Department firings and the search for student Sudiksha Konanki: Morning Rundown
The Education Department is taking its first step toward a shutdown.NBC News - 14h -
Department of Education lays off nearly half of workforce
The Department of Education announced Tuesday it was firing nearly half of its workforce, the latest Trump administration move to shrink the federal government that could face swift legal ...The Hill - 1d -
First steps to dismantle Education Department begin
The Department of Education is cutting its workforce by nearly 50% as the Trump administration proceeds with plans to dismantle the agency. The bulk of the department's responsibilities include ...CBS News - 10h -
Obama-era Education secretary warns Trump against shuttering department
Former Education Secretary Arne Duncan issued President Trump a warning over plans to shutter the Department of Education, decrying "you break it, you own it." Duncan, in an interview with CNN's ...The Hill - 4d -
Department of Education offices closed Wednesday for 'security reasons'
The Department of Education told staff in an email Tuesday that its offices would be closed Wednesday for “security reasons.” The email, obtained by NewsNation, said workers needed to leave the ...The Hill - 1d -
What the Education Department layoffs could mean for students with disabilities
The Department of Education cut nearly half its civil rights investigators, which experts say could have a major impact on children with special needs.NBC News - 1h -
Education Department guts its workforce as it looks to wind down agency
Around 3,000 people work in the department's Washington headquarters, and roughly 1,000 are staffed in 10 regional offices across the country.NBC News - 1d
More from The Hill
-
Judge finds Trump unlawfully fired head of federal employee labor board
A federal judge ruled Wednesday that President Trump’s firing of the head of a board that resolves disputes between federal employees and the government was unlawful. U.S. District Judge Sparkle ...The Hill - 1h -
US puts Putin in hot seat with Ukraine ceasefire proposal
Presented by GE Aerospace — {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security PRESENTED BY The Big Story US puts Putin in hot seat with Ukraine ceasefire proposal The United States ...The Hill - 1h -
Distilled Spirits Council CEO warns European whiskey tariff could be 'very, very devastating'
The CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States on Wednesday warned that a European whiskey tariff would be "very, very devastating." “We've just gotten the news early, early this ...The Hill - 1h -
EPA sets stage for cutting climate and pollution regs
Click for more from The Hill. {beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment The Big Story EPA sets stage for cutting climate and pollution regs The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ...The Hill - 2h -
Senate Democrats struggle with funding dilemma as shutdown deadline looms
Senate Democrats are staring down a major dilemma as they agonize over how to handle the GOP’s stopgap spending bill in the face of a potential government shutdown by the end of the week. ...The Hill - 2h
More in Politics
-
Judge finds Trump unlawfully fired head of federal employee labor board
A federal judge ruled Wednesday that President Trump’s firing of the head of a board that resolves disputes between federal employees and the government was unlawful. U.S. District Judge Sparkle ...The Hill - 1h -
US puts Putin in hot seat with Ukraine ceasefire proposal
Presented by GE Aerospace — {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security PRESENTED BY The Big Story US puts Putin in hot seat with Ukraine ceasefire proposal The United States ...The Hill - 1h -
Distilled Spirits Council CEO warns European whiskey tariff could be 'very, very devastating'
The CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States on Wednesday warned that a European whiskey tariff would be "very, very devastating." “We've just gotten the news early, early this ...The Hill - 1h -
Chuck Schumer is in a real shutdown mess. Can he lead Democrats out of it?
Despite pressure from the left to hold firm, some Democratic senators seem headed for an off-ramp.Politico - 1h -
EPA sets stage for cutting climate and pollution regs
Click for more from The Hill. {beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment The Big Story EPA sets stage for cutting climate and pollution regs The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ...The Hill - 2h