McMahon Moves to Shut Down Department of Education

Clear Facts

• Education Secretary Linda McMahon is transferring core Department of Education functions to other agencies to demonstrate the department is unnecessary.
• The Department of Labor now handles adult education, family literacy, and career technical programs, while Treasury manages federal student loans and collections.
• McMahon seeks congressional approval to formally close the department, arguing federal education support will continue without a standalone cabinet agency.

U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon is moving aggressively to transfer the Department of Education’s responsibilities to other federal agencies. Her goal is to prove to Congress that the department is no longer needed.

“Signing these interagency agreements means, in fact, that the Department of Education is contracting with these agencies to perform the functions that they’ve been given,” McMahon told Fox News Digital. “The first big block of work was transferred over to the Department of Labor.”

President Trump campaigned on eliminating the department and later signed an executive order directing his administration to begin the process. McMahon is now executing that vision through practical steps that shift operational duties to other agencies while maintaining statutory oversight.

“It started first with CTE — Career and Technical Education — then K–12, and finally higher education as well,” McMahon said.

McMahon wants lawmakers to see that federal support for students will continue without a dedicated cabinet department. She presented these transfers as a proof of concept to Congress.

“I’ve asked Congress with this proof of concept in these interagency agreements: ‘Let me prove to you that it works,'” she said. “Ultimately, Congress has to vote if we do close the Department of Education and if I, in fact, am able to fire myself. Hopefully, they will vote [for it], because I believe the outcome will be better for students — and that is the goal. That is certainly the president’s goal.”

The Department of the Treasury has taken over key operations related to federal student loans and collections on defaulted debt. These moves are part of a broader strategy to show that essential education functions can be handled by other agencies without disruption.

“I call it my proof of concept to show Congress that it works, that the money still gets to schools and to students where they need it,” McMahon told Fox News Digital.

“Some of the programs in the Department of Education were being duplicated in other agencies, or handled better elsewhere,” McMahon added. “So let’s be efficient. Let’s make sure the money gets where it needs to go, let’s measure that by student outcomes, and let’s hold teachers and administrators accountable for what they’re doing.”

The Department of Education has already vacated its headquarters building in Washington, D.C., allowing the Department of Energy to move in. Iowa became the first state to seek greater flexibility in using federal education funds under a new waiver process that reduces federal oversight.

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