Full Breakdown
Senate Committee Blocks Trump Administration’s Plan to Dismantle Education Department
7/31/2026, 2:01:03 AM
Legislative Rebuff on July 30
On July 30, the Senate education committee voted 13-9 to approve a bipartisan bill that would preserve the core components of the U.S. Education Department. The measure, led by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), blocks the administration’s ongoing interagency agreements that transfer services for disabled students to the Health and Human Services Department, K-12 and post-secondary programs to the Labor Department, and Native American education programs to the Interior Department. Republicans Sen. Susan Collins (R-Me.) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Ak.) joined Democrats in supporting the legislation.
Background: Interagency Transfers and Special-Education Concerns
Since assuming office, the Trump administration has pursued a “piecemeal” strategy to gut the department, using interagency agreements—normally limited to supply purchases—to shift “tens of billions” in education programs to other federal agencies. Secretary Linda McMahon announced that the department had partnered with other agencies to outsource many functions, arguing the changes would “cut through” red tape. Critics, including disability advocates, warn that moving special-education programs to Health and Human Services could turn students into patients rather than learners.
Key Legislative Actions
- Bill sponsored by Kaine: Shields the Education Department’s special-education, Native American, K-12 and post-secondary offices from further transfers.
- Amendment by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wa.): Requires the secretary to provide cost estimates for each interagency agreement, with travel funds withheld until receipts are disclosed.
- Opposition within the committee: Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), committee chairman, opposed both the broader Kaine bill and a separate proposal to give HHS a role in special education, citing risks to decades of progress.
Official Statements & Responses
Sen. Kaine emphasized that the vote sends a “loud message” to parents of students with disabilities and to congressional appropriators, giving them leverage in funding negotiations. Murkowski, also an appropriator, said she was unconvinced that children could wait for a “proof of concept” after speaking with McMahon. McMahon defended the reorganization as a means to improve efficiency, rejecting claims that it adds red tape.
Verbatim Quotes
- “You shouldn’t just hand it off willy-nilly,” — Tim Kaine, said senator
- “We cannot lose sight of the fact that, at the end of the day, we are talking about children,” — Lisa Murkowski
- “Secretary McMahon is duplicating the work her department was already doing by asking other agencies to do it instead, and claiming somehow this makes government 'more efficient,'” — Sen. Patty Murray
