President Donald Trump’s executive order to dismantle the Department of Education (DOE) has sent a seismic shock wave throughout Washington, with Republicans celebrating and Democrats mourning.
The order, which directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to dismantle the department, fulfills one of Trump’s promises, as he pledged on the campaign trail to undo the colossal department, which was signed into law by President Jimmy Carter in 1979.
“We’re ranked No. 40th [in education],” Trump said in February.
“But we’re ranked No. 1 in one department—costs per pupil … . That means something’s really wrong, right? And I say send it [education] back to Iowa, to Idaho, to Colorado.”
For the Republican Party’s top lawmakers, the dismantling of the DOE fulfills a decades-long Republican push to send control of education back to the states.
A statement from Senate Majority Whip Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., to The Daily Signal said, “Trump is improving America’s education system. The true strength of our educational system lies with the states and our local communities. Today’s executive order sidelines the Washington bureaucracy and puts Wyoming parents in the driver’s seat.”
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., likewise backed the order as a step towards improving education.
“Trump took a significant step today toward putting education closer to the child, a move that benefits families nationwide,” Emmer said, adding:
The Department of Education has consistently fallen short of fulfilling its intended purpose, and its closure marks a win for America’s children—particularly those whose education has been hindered by the department for decades.
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said that he fully backs the order as well.
“Gut the Department of Education and send the money back to the states,” he said in a statement to The Daily Signal. “Let the locals decide how to best address the needs of their communities. Not one bureaucrat in D.C. has ever taught a kid to read.”
But the order was not met with similar applause by Democrats.
Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., called the order “more bulls–t,” saying, “I will fight your illegal behavior until the cows come home, and I’m pretty sure the hundreds of thousands of people who’ve contacted my office since you started this nonsense are on the same page.”
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., called the order an “outrageous, illegal scam.”
“Trump and his Cabinet of billionaires are trying to destroy the Department of Education so they can privatize more schools. The result—making it even harder to ensure that ALL students have access to a quality education,” he said.
In support of the order, some Republican lawmakers have suggested that the president go further by codifying his order into law.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., praised the order on X, saying “Bravo,” but urged the president to support a bill that would legally disband the Department of EducatioSen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., has likewise introduced legislation to completely eliminate the department by an act of Congress.