Trump Is Going After the DOE

Author

Bubba
13 Nov

One of President-elect Donald Trump’s most ambitious goals in his second administration? Getting rid of the Education Department, which Republicans view as bloated and ideologically tainted. (Education Week)

What would it look like: Dismantling the DOE would require congressional approval.

  • Although the GOP will soon control the White House and both chambers of Congress, most observers doubt Trump will have the political juice he needs to actually make it happen.

  • Trump’s first-term efforts to abolish the DOE didn’t get too far.

What does the DOE do: The Department of Education has more than 4,000 employees and an $80 billion yearly budget.

  • The department’s main functions include contributing roughly 10% of total funding to K-12 education, enforcing laws related to civil rights in schools and managing a $1.6 trillion student loan program.

Rick Hess, director of Education Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute:

Keep in mind that the four biggest programs at the department are student lending, Pell Grants, [the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act], and Title I [which provides financial aid for low-income students]. The fact is that few policymakers, right or left, are willing to call for slashing (much less ending) federal aid for low-income students or learners with special needs. Given that, it’s a safe bet that the big programs aren’t going away. The practical effect [of eliminating the DOE] would be to move this stuff to other Cabinet agencies—many to Labor, some to Health and Human Services, civil rights enforcement to Justice, and so forth.

The vibes: A plurality (45%) of Americans view the Education Department unfavorably, compared to 44% who have a favorable opinion, according to a Pew Research Center survey from August.

  • That makes the Education Department one of the least popular federal agencies in the country, ranking only above the IRS and tied with the DOJ.