On July 15, 2026, the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee approved 10 Republican-led bills that are the first steps in eventually closing the U.S. Department of Education (USDE). The bills would codify several interagency agreements the USDE already has in place that move core education-related functions, but not the statutory responsibilities for them, out of the USDE and into other federal agencies. Select legal responsibilities would be permanently moved out of the USDE, including programs involving K-12 student academic supports, career and technical education, and federal student loan activities.
Committee Chair Tim Walberg, R-Mich., sponsor of two bills in the 10-bill package, said the USDE has “failed.” Conversely, ranking committee member Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., opposed the bills, saying the transfers were “impractical” and “represent the abdication of the federal government’s responsibility to ensure that all students, regardless of race, religion, disability, income, or zip code, have access to a quality public education. Whatever you say about the ‘problems’ at the Department of Education, these bills will only make things worse.”
The panel’s Republican majority rejected Democrat-led amendments to the bills, including those to require progress reports, funding guardrails, and increased staffing to support the outsourced activities.
The bills still need full House and then Senate approval. For more details from K-12 Dive, click here.