Education Department to the full extent of his power, directing his administration to slash spending while pressuring employees to quit. Yet his promise to close the department is colliding with another reality: Most of its spending — and its very existence — is ordered by Congress.
The planned order would direct his education chief to start winding down the agency but urge Congress to pass a measure abolishing it, according to sources familiar with the plan.
Yet even some of his allies question how far he can go without Congress. The agency also has opened new investigations into colleges , after Trump ordered a crackdown on campus antisemitism. What Trump can actually do to cut spending could be limited to tiny fractions of the budget, according to one source with knowledge of the plan.
Some Republicans have raised doubts about the popularity of closing the department or slashing its programs, which support Republican and Democratic states alike. The House considered amending a bill to close the agency in , but 60 Republicans joined Democrats in opposing it. Last week Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, against introduced legislation to close the agency.
Dozens of Education Department employees were put on paid leave on Friday in response to an executive order banning diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the federal government. The White House has also pressured federal workers to quit.
