November 18, 2025
Administration transfers education programs to other agencies, bypassing Congress that created them in 1979
On Nov. 18, 2025, the Department of Education announced six interagency agreements moving offices to Departments of Labor, Interior, HHS, and State without Congressional approval.
Opponents say Congress explicitly located these offices in Education when creating them, and the White House can''t legally move them without legislation. The moves are part of Trump''s campaign promise to dismantle the department, but fully eliminating it requires Congressional action Trump doesn''t have the votes for.
On Nov. 18, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education announced six new interagency agreements (IAAs) transferring offices and programs to four other federal agencies: Labor, Interior, Health and Human Services, and State. Education Secretary 
Linda McMahon said the agreements will "break up the federal education bureaucracy" and move toward Trump's promise to return education to the states. The White House didn't seek Congressional approval before making the moves.
The agreements transfer programs Congress specifically placed in the Education Department when creating them through legislation. For example, some offices were created by laws that explicitly say they must be housed in Education. Opponents argue the White House can't bypass Congress by moving offices through administrative agreements when the statutes creating those offices specified their location.
Trump campaigned on eliminating the Department of Education entirely, but that requires Congressional approval—both House and Senate must pass legislation and Trump must sign it. Trump doesn't have the votes in Congress because even some Republicans oppose eliminating Education. Instead, Trump is using executive power to gradually dismantle the department by moving offices elsewhere and cutting staff.
The Department of Education currently oversees billions in federal education funding, manages federal student loans, enforces civil rights laws in schools, distributes Pell Grants, and oversees special education programs. The department was created in 1980 under President Carter to ensure equal access to educational opportunity. Republicans have tried to eliminate it since inception, arguing education should be handled by states, not the federal government.
Legal experts told NPR the moves raise serious questions about executive authority. When Congress creates an office or program by statute and specifies where it belongs, the president generally can't move it without Congressional approval. The question is whether these specific offices were created by statute with location requirements or were established administratively, which gives the executive more flexibility.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon, former WWE executive and Small Business Administrator in Trump's first term, is overseeing the dismantling. Trump appointed McMahon specifically because she supports eliminating the department. McMahon said the interagency agreements are just the "first step" in a longer process of breaking up Education and returning programs to states.
If the moves proceed, programs like career and technical education could shift to Labor, Native American education to Interior, and student wellness programs to HHS. Critics warn this fragments education policy, making it harder to coordinate federal support for schools. Supporters argue it returns power to states and reduces federal bureaucracy.
civic action
Contact representatives to demand Congressional oversight of Education transfers
Congress created these offices by statute and specified their location. The White House needs Congressional approval to move them. Demand hearings and legal review.
I'm calling to demand Congressional oversight of the Education Department's transfer of offices to other agencies.
Key points:
Request: Hold oversight hearings on whether these transfers violate statutory requirements. Protect Congressional authority over federal agency structure.
