Senate Bill Proposes Dismantling Education Department

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Senate Republicans introduce bold legislation to abolish the Department of Education, seeking to return control of education to states while fulfilling President Trump’s vision for education reform.

Key Insights

The “Returning Education to Our States Act” was introduced by Senator Mike Rounds with co-sponsors, following President Trump’s executive order to begin dismantling the Education Department.
The bill would redistribute $200 billion in funding and responsibilities to other federal agencies while giving states authority over education standards.
Major functions would be reassigned: student loans to the Treasury, special education programs to Health and Human Services, and certain programs to other departments.
Supporters argue the plan reduces bureaucracy and empowers local communities, while critics worry about impacts on special education and civil rights protections.
The bill requires 60 votes to pass in the Senate, though Senator Rounds believes it could pass with 50 through budget reconciliation.

Trump Administration Pushes Forward on Education Department Closure

President Trump signed an executive order earlier this year directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure” of the Department of Education. The move aligns with longstanding Republican objectives dating back to Ronald Reagan’s presidency. The executive order directs a significant reduction in the department’s workforce and begins the process of transferring authority to state and local governments.

The department currently manages a $238 billion budget, constituting less than 2% of the federal budget, and employs approximately 4,400 staff members – making it the smallest cabinet-level department. Despite its relatively modest size, the department oversees crucial functions including public school funding, student loans, and programs supporting low-income students.

The “Returning Education to Our States Act”

The Senate legislation, spearheaded by Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota, provides the congressional action needed to fully dismantle the department. The bill would redistribute approximately $200 billion in funding and responsibilities to other federal agencies and states. Student loans would transfer to the Treasury Department, programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act would move to Health and Human Services, and the Fulbright-Hays Program would shift to the State Department.

“The federal Department of Education has never educated a single student, and it’s long past time to end this bureaucratic department that causes more harm than good,” Rounds said.

The bill also seeks to reduce standardized testing requirements while giving schools greater control over teacher certification and professional development standards. Additional responsibilities would be redistributed to the Departments of Interior, Labor, Defense, and Justice. The legislation will be debated in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions before potentially moving to a floor vote.

Arguments For and Against Dismantling the Department

Supporters of the legislation argue that education policy should be managed by states and localities rather than through federal control. President Trump and his allies have criticized the department, claiming it has been used to indoctrinate students with what they consider inappropriate racial, sexual, and political material. Proponents believe the change would reduce bureaucratic obstacles, allow more funding to reach classrooms directly, and give communities greater influence over educational decisions.

“For years, I’ve worked toward removing the federal Department of Education. I’m pleased that president-elect Trump shares this vision, and I’m excited to work with him and Republican majorities in the Senate and House to make this a reality. This legislation is a roadmap to eliminating the federal Department of Education by practically rehoming these federal programs in the departments where they belong, which will be critical as we move into next year,” added Round.

Critics express concerns about potential impacts on special education services and civil rights protections in schools. The Department of Education currently enforces civil rights laws in federally funded educational institutions. Education policy experts worry about disruptions to services for vulnerable student populations if oversight is fragmented across multiple agencies or left entirely to states with varying standards and resources.

Path Forward for the Legislation

While the bill represents a significant step toward President Trump’s goal of eliminating the Department of Education, it faces substantial legislative hurdles. The proposal requires a supermajority of 60 votes in the Senate to overcome potential filibusters, though Senator Rounds has suggested it could potentially pass with 50 votes through the budget reconciliation process. A previous attempt to abolish the department failed in the House of Representatives.

“The Department of Education is not a bank, and it must return bank functions to an entity equipped to serve America’s student,” states the executive order.

If successful, the bill would represent the most significant restructuring of federal education oversight since the Department of Education was established in 1979. The legislation aligns with broader conservative principles of reducing federal government size and returning power to states. The Trump administration and Republican senators backing the bill view this as fulfilling a campaign promise to reform education by empowering local decision-makers rather than federal bureaucrats.