Plan to shutter Education Dept. ‘not going to happen’: Arne Duncan

The Hill ^ | 02/06/2025 | Sean Noone

[ChicagoConservative27]

Former Education Secretary Arne Duncan said President Trump’s plan to eliminate the Department of Education is “not going to happen,” citing necessary congressional action.

“First of all, (the Trump administration) cannot eliminate the Department of Education,” he told “NewsNation Now,” on Wednesday. “That takes an act of Congress. That’s not going to happen.”

Duncan, however, stressed that the White House could still move to neuter the department.

“Could they weaken the department? Could they move functions to other agencies — to Health and Human Services, to the Labor Department, to Treasury? That is possible,” he said.

Trump is preparing to gut the 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.

[ChicagoConservative27]

Just because you say so Arne??

[FreedomPoster]

Worthless agency, Newt should have zeroed out their budget 30 years ago.

[SMARTY]

Ask ‘What happened to all the COVID money the NEA got and used to increase salaries for teachers.’

[HIDEK6]

Isn’t he a “former” something?

[wildcard_redneck]

Trump can fire everyone and turn off the electricity.

[SpaceBar]

Jimmy Carter’s real ‘legacy’.

[NavyShoe]

Heads are blowing up.

[BenLurkin]

Used to be the state runs schools would threaten ignorance if “education” wasn’t funneled buckets of tax dollars.

Turns out that it was they who were created entire generations of ignorant “graduates”.

And there’s no hiding that fact anymore.

[ConservativeDude]

And...Congress may well act to close the doors, as Trump’s victories keep piling up the pressure is going to be immense.

[ComputerGuy]

Pay their salaries and that’s it. Money allocated does not become money spent until the CEO says so.

[PeterPrinciple]

“Could they weaken the department? Could they move functions to other agencies — to Health and Human Services, to the Labor Department, to Treasury? That is possible,” he said.

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phase one.

now an excuse to cut the budget and work for congress to do. They can go back to the voters and say they killed the dept.

[1Old Pro]

Move them to Alaska

[SpaceBar]

23.1 percent of Californians over age 15 cannot read this sentence.

From the Geller Report.

[Bon of Babble]

Maybe old Arne could defend these test scores to show how much the DOE is needed:

[pburiak]

I’m proposing a new revolutionary concept here- nobody’s ever thought of it before. DOGE should hire me based on this:

Fold the Department of Education into the Department of Health and Human Services, and call the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

BRILLIANT!

[TexasFreeper2009]

move everything to another department and leave an empty building that congress can then decide on.

Either way, its gone

[TexasFreeper2009]

transfer every employee at the education department into a department located in Antarctica, and then fire them for insubordination if they don’t show up for work.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Most of its spending — and its very existence — is ordered by Congress.

I guess my understanding of this is lacking - how can Congress order the existence of an agency under the Executive Branch?

[BRL]

He can turn the agency into an indoctrination camp for anti-wokeness and all other kind of things, and force all kind of mandates down the schools throats to the point where they will be begging him to close it down

[MayflowerMadam]

“That takes an act of Congress. That’s not going to happen.”

Could happen.