### Trump's Plan to Restructure Education Department Gains Momentum with Senate Support

President-elect Donald Trump, who has been vocal about his intentions to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, is now backed by legislative efforts that would see the department's core functions reassigned to other federal agencies. Senator Mike Rounds, R-S.D., one of Trump's Senate allies, introduced the Returning Education to Our States Act (S. 5384) on Thursday. This legislation aims to redistribute the department's functions rather than outright eliminate them.

Sen. Rounds argues that the Department of Education has expanded beyond its original mission and evolved into a cumbersome bureaucracy. He criticized the department for enforcing policies on states and school districts as a precondition for receiving grant funds. "The federal Department of Education has never educated a single student, and it's long past time to end this bureaucratic department that causes more harm than good," Rounds said.

Under the proposed plan, functions of the Education Department would be allocated among several other departments. The Department of the Interior would take on educational programs supporting Native Americans, while the Treasury Department would manage various loan and Pell Grant programs. Special education and programs for disabled children would move to Health and Human Services (HHS), career and vocational funding initiatives to the Department of Labor, and the Fulbright-Hays Program to the Department of State. However, many programs, including those focused on teacher preparation and economically disadvantaged students, would not be reassigned under the current bill.

The measure does not specify what will happen to the Education Department’s roughly 4,200 employees, and Rounds’ office did not respond to requests for clarification regarding their future. Despite the challenges, Rounds expressed enthusiasm for partnering with the incoming Republican-controlled Congress to push the legislation forward.

President-elect Trump has nominated Linda McMahon as the new Education Secretary. McMahon, who has previously led the Small Business Administration and served on the Connecticut State Board of Education, is expected to advocate for increased opportunities for students, especially in non-public schools and apprenticeship programs.

The Department of Education has faced opposition since its inception in 1980, with various politicians, including President Reagan, at different times calling for its dissolution. Trump's first-term Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, also expressed the belief that the department should not exist. Previous attempts to merge the departments of Education and Labor during Trump’s initial term were ignored by Congress.

In a campaign declaration, Trump emphasized his resolve by stating, "On day one, we will begin to find and remove the radicals, zealots, and Marxists who have infiltrated the federal Department of Education." This remark underscores his commitment to preventing perceived ideological bias within the department as part of his broader education reform agenda.