(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump will sign an executive order Thursday asking new Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin dissolving the department, White House officials confirmed to NewsNation.
Trump’s order directs McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure,” a draft of the order obtained by the Wall Street Journal revealed.
According to the Journal’s reporting, McMahon would be instructed to do whatever it takes to shutter the agency based on “the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law.”
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The long-promised closure of the department could have major implications on what kids learn, how schools are funded and the future of student loans for millions.
Trump has previously accused the department of “indoctrinating young people with inappropriate racial, sexual and political material.” He campaigned on the idea of giving educational power to the states.
White House officials said Trump will put pen to paper Thursday afternoon in the latest of more than 80 executive orders signed since his inauguration in January.
Can an executive order close Department of Education?
Legally, Trump does not have the power to completely eliminate the department, which the draft reportedly recognizes.
Any major changes to the department would require congressional approval, but the executive order would be the president’s first step in dismantling the department.
Linda McMahon gives Education staffers their ‘final mission’
During her Senate confirmation hearing, McMahon told members of Congress they would be expected to go along with the president’s plans.
She then sent a “final mission” message to agency staffers, promising to handle one of Trump’s “most momentous campaign promises to families” and “send education back to the states.”
What does the Department of Education do?
Founded in 1979, the Department of Education primarily oversees funding for K-12 public schools and disperses student aid for college students.
Funding for elementary schools and secondary schools supports economically disadvantaged school systems, USA Facts reports.
The department administers two programs to support low-income students who attend college: Pell Grants and the federal student loan program.
Federal Student Aid, an office of the Department of Education, is the nation’s largest provider of student financial aid. The office reportedly makes postsecondary education possible for more than 9.7 million students each year.
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In the past month, the agency has undergone major changes, with dozens of employees fired or placed on administrative leave.
On Monday, the department offered some employees $25,000 to quit their jobs with an explicit threat of further layoffs. It is not clear how many staffers took the offer.
NewsNation’s Liz Jassin and The Hill contributed to this report.
