March 19

Education Department transfers $1.7T student loan portfolio to Treasury

The Trump administration announced on March 19, 2026, that the Education Department would transfer its $1.7 trillion federal student loan portfolio to the Treasury Department in a phased agreement. Treasury will first assume management of approximately $180 billion in defaulted loans, with all remaining loans to follow. Secretary Linda McMahon cited a 25 percent borrower default rate as evidence the Education Department had failed at loan management. Senator Elizabeth Warren called on the department to rescind the transfer, arguing it lacked congressional authorization.

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24 states sue EPA over repeal of greenhouse gas endangerment finding

A coalition of 24 states, 10 cities, and 5 counties filed suit in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on March 19, 2026, challenging the Trump EPA's rescission of the 2009 Endangerment Finding. The 2009 finding — which declared greenhouse gases a threat to public health — was the legal foundation for all EPA climate regulations under the Clean Air Act. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and Trump framed the repeal as the largest deregulatory action in U.S. history. California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York co-led the suit.

Judge Boasberg quashes DOJ subpoenas in criminal probe of Fed Chair Powell

Chief Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for D.C. quashed DOJ grand jury subpoenas targeting Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on March 19, 2026. Boasberg ruled the government had offered no evidence Powell committed any crime other than displeasing the president, and found the probe was designed to pressure Powell to cut interest rates or resign. The DOJ had opened the criminal investigation in January 2026 focused on alleged false statements to Congress about Fed headquarters renovation cost overruns.

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Education Department threatens Maine with total K-12 funding loss over trans sports policy

The U.S. Department of Education issued a formal demand on March 19, 2026, warning Maine it would lose all K-12 federal funding unless the state excluded transgender girls from girls sports by a set deadline. Maine received approximately $250 million in annual federal education funding supporting Title I and IDEA programs for low-income and disabled students. Governor Janet Mills had previously told Trump at a February meeting that Maine would not comply with executive order restrictions on transgender athletes. The department referred enforcement to the DOJ.

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