Full Breakdown
Republican Bills Seek to Permanently Transfer Education Department Programs
7/11/2026, 9:31:40 PM
Legislative Push to Transfer Education Programs
House Education and the Workforce Committee chair Rep. Tim Walberg (Michigan) introduced ten bills that would codify dozens of interagency agreements the Trump administration forged over the past year. The measures would move most K-12 formula grants, career-technical education funds, and the federal student-loan program out of the U.S. Department of Education and into agencies such as Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury. A markup is tentatively set for Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
Recent Interagency Shifts and Numbers
Since the 2025 transition, the Education Department has signed 14 agreements shifting at least 148 programs to six other Cabinet agencies. The moves are incomplete; the Institute of Education Sciences has yet to receive a new home, and the Justice Department’s absorption of the civil-rights office and the transfer of special-education grants to Health and Human Services remain pending.
Official Statements & Responses
“The legislative package reflects a simple principle: education policy should be focused on helping students succeed—not preserving a federal bureaucracy for its own sake,” said Tim Walberg, chairman of the committee.
“The move comes just months before the November midterm elections, in which Republicans are expected to struggle to maintain their narrow majority in the House of Representatives,” noted the timing of the proposal.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon has described the transfers as a “proof of concept” to demonstrate how the shifts work in practice.
Criticism & Opposition
“At the behest of Trump, Republicans have introduced a flurry of bills that would dismantle the Department of Education and offload critical offices to agencies that are ill-equipped to carry out core duties,” asserted Rep. Bobby Scott (Virginia), the top Democrat on the committee.
Rachel Gittleman, president of the American Federation of Government Employees’ Education Department branch, warned that “states, grantees and taxpayers are already paying the price for education programs being unlawfully transferred to other federal agencies: funding delays, confusion and chaos for both employees and the public, wasted taxpayer dollars, and no accountability or oversight.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
A 2025 PDK poll of 1,005 U.S. adults found two-thirds opposed eliminating the Education Department, with 46 % of Republican respondents supporting the move and no Democrats in favor. The bills do not address the pending relocation of the Institute of Education Sciences, and Senate approval remains uncertain, leaving the ultimate fate of the department unclear.
