Donald Trump is preparing to issue an executive order as soon as Thursday directing his newly confirmed Education Secretary, Linda McMahon, to begin the process of shutting down the Department of Education, according to The Washington Post.
Linda McMahon is a billionaire businesswoman and former CEO of WWE, the professional wrestling empire she built alongside her husband, Vince McMahon. She previously served as the head of the Small Business Administration (SBA) under Trump’s first presidency, where she focused on supporting small businesses and deregulation.
Despite having no prior experience in education policy, Trump tapped McMahon to lead the Department of Education as part of his push to reduce the federal government’s role in education. Her appointment aligns with Trump’s long-standing goal to eliminate or drastically shrink the department, shifting control over education policy to individual states.
The executive order does not have the power to close the department outright. That would require an act of Congress and at least 60 votes in the Senate; a difficult hurdle since Republicans hold only 53 seats. Instead, the order instructs McMahon to do everything legally possible to reduce the department’s role and shift responsibilities elsewhere.
Since legally many education programs must stay within the department, McMahon’s options are limited. However, the department has already begun cutting staff, programs, and grants, and more reductions are expected soon. Officials have warned that mass layoffs could happen in the near future.
If the department is dismantled, education oversight would likely shift to individual states. For now, the Education Department remains open, but with Trump pushing for its closure, major changes could be on the horizon.
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