McMahon plans to ‘fire’ herself from a job, striving to show Congress that the Department of Ed is not needed
Education Secretary Linda McMahon says she is moving more Department of Education responsibilities to other federal agencies to show Congress that a standalone department is unnecessary. The effort advances President Donald Trump’s plan to dismantle the department, but Congress would have to approve its closure.
The Department of Labor is taking on operational work for adult education, family literacy and career and technical education, while Education retains legal responsibilities and oversight. The Treasury Department has agreed to handle key student loan and defaulted debt operations. McMahon calls the agreements a test of whether services and funding can continue to reach students and schools; a policy fellow says the transfer of major duties is more substantial than earlier agreements.
In short
- McMahon is using agency agreements to make the case for closing Education.
- Labor has taken on workforce and career education operations.
- Congress would need to vote to close the department.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters argue that shifting operational work to agencies with relevant expertise could reduce duplication and make government more efficient, while preserving services and funding. They see the transfers as a practical test of whether education programmes can continue without a standalone department, with Congress retaining authority over whether to close it.
The case against
Critics argue that moving major functions before Congress decides the department’s future risks weakening coordination, oversight and accountability for students and schools. They may also question whether agencies focused on labour or finance can give education programmes the same attention, and warn that fragmented responsibilities could disrupt services even if legal duties formally remain with Education.
Explained simply
The US Department of Education is a federal agency that administers education programmes and student loans, and oversees how some federal education laws are carried out. Most schools are run by state and local governments, while Congress sets the department’s legal authority and budget.
Linda McMahon is the education secretary in President Donald Trump’s administration. The Department of Labor works on jobs and workforce training, and the Treasury Department manages federal finances; both are taking on some operational tasks linked to education programmes and student debt.
The transfers raise questions about which agencies should deliver these services and how they should be overseen. The department’s legal duties remain in place, and closing it would require Congress to approve a change in federal law.
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