The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions voted Thursday to approve bipartisan legislation aimed at blocking the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the Department of Education. The measure seeks to preserve key functions of the department by preventing the transfer of numerous education programs to other federal agencies.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, intends to maintain the core operations of the Education Department. It would stop the administration’s transfers of special education services to the Department of Health and Human Services, programs for elementary through postsecondary students to the Labor Department, and education programs for Native American students to the Interior Department.
Despite the committee’s approval, the legislation faces significant hurdles before becoming law. A competing bill in the House supports many of the administration’s changes, and President Donald Trump is unlikely to endorse legislation that contradicts his policy agenda. The Trump administration has pursued a strategy of transferring substantial portions of the department’s responsibilities through interagency agreements, reallocating tens of billions of dollars in government programs outside the Education Department without congressional approval to close the agency directly.
The committee vote revealed divisions within the Republican ranks. Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined Democrats in supporting the bill, while Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, the Republican chairman, opposed it despite expressing concerns about shifting special education services. Cassidy argued that the administration should have the flexibility to make changes without being blocked by legislation.
Critics of the Education Department cited persistent challenges in the nation’s education system, including stagnating test scores and high student loan debt, as evidence that the agency has been ineffective. “This bill is misguided and it clearly lacks the vision to address this failing education system that we have in this country,” said Senator Tommy Tuberville, Republican of Alabama.
The administration defended its actions through Education Department spokeswoman Savannah Newhouse, who called support for the bill “malpractice.” She argued that efforts to restructure the department would reduce bureaucratic obstacles and better serve students, families, and educators.
Following the vote, several cabinet members involved in the department changes, including Education Secretary Linda McMahon, sent a letter to Congressional leaders. The letter stated that $3 trillion had been spent on federal education programs since 1980 with little improvement in outcomes and significant bureaucratic inefficiencies. The officials asserted that the ongoing reorganization would streamline services without causing disruptions for students, parents, or educators.
Advocacy groups have expressed concern that the administration’s moves, particularly the transfer of special education and civil rights offices, weaken oversight at a time when staffing for those functions has been cut substantially. Some groups also questioned Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s suitability to oversee education programs for students with disabilities, citing his controversial views on autism.