Why Do Republicans Want to Close the Department of Education? What You Need to Know

If you’ve spent any time scrolling through news feeds lately, you’ve probably seen the headlines. The U.S. Department of Education—the agency responsible for everything from student loans to civil rights in schools—is in the crosshairs. Again.

Honestly, this isn't a new fight. It’s a decades-old grudge match. But with the 2024 election behind us and the Trump administration making big moves in 2025 and 2026, the volume has been turned up to ten. People are asking: why do Republicans want to close the Department of Education so badly? Is it just about saving money, or is something deeper going on?

The "Federal Overreach" Argument

At its core, the GOP's beef with the Department of Education (often called "ED" in D.C. circles) is about power. Republicans basically argue that the federal government has no business running schools. They point to the 10th Amendment of the Constitution, which says any powers not specifically given to the feds belong to the states.

Since "education" isn't mentioned in the Constitution, conservative logic says it should be 100% a state and local issue.

Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota recently introduced the "Returning Education to Our States Act." His argument? The department has never actually "educated" a single student. It’s just a middleman.

Think about it this way. Your local school board knows your neighborhood. The federal government doesn't. Republicans argue that by the time money travels from your paycheck to Washington and then back to your local elementary school, a huge chunk of it is eaten up by "bureaucratic red tape." They’d rather just let the states keep the money and decide how to spend it.

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Cutting the "Woke" Bureaucracy

It’s not just about the money, though. It's cultural.

For many in the MAGA movement, the Department of Education is seen as the "head of the snake" for what they call "woke" ideology. They argue that federal mandates are being used to push specific agendas on gender identity, race, and history that parents in conservative states don't want.

In early 2025, President Trump issued executive orders aimed at "empowering parents." The goal was to strip away federal guidance that many conservatives believe forces schools to adopt liberal social policies. By closing the department, Republicans hope to end the "regulatory whiplash" where every new president changes the rules for how schools must handle things like Title IX or school discipline.

The Financial "Bank" Problem

Here is a detail that most people forget: the Department of Education is basically a massive bank.

It manages a student loan portfolio of about $1.7 trillion. That is a staggering amount of money. Republicans, including former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, have long argued that the department isn't equipped to handle this. They point out that the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) has fewer than 1,500 employees managing a portfolio the size of Wells Fargo—which has over 200,000 employees.

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The GOP plan?

• Privatize student loans: Move the lending back to private banks.
• Shift the stats: Move the National Center for Education Statistics to the Census Bureau.
• Transfer the rest: Send disability programs (IDEA) to Health and Human Services and career training to the Labor Department.

Basically, they want to take the "department" out of the "education" and just scatter the necessary parts like seeds in the wind.

Project 2025 and the Blueprint for Change

You can't talk about this without mentioning Project 2025. Even though the Trump campaign distanced itself from it during the election, the administration’s actions in 2025 have mirrored many of its suggestions.

The project's blueprint is pretty radical. It doesn't just suggest closing the department; it suggests eliminating Head Start (the program for low-income preschoolers) and turning Title I funding into "no-strings-attached" block grants for states.

Critics, like Representative Rosa DeLauro, argue this would be a disaster. She points out that schools in poor, rural areas—many of which are in red states—rely heavily on that federal money. If the department vanishes and the money becomes a block grant, there’s no guarantee it actually reaches the kids who need it most.

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Is It Actually Possible?

Closing a cabinet-level department is hard. Really hard.

1. Congress has the keys: The President can't just sign a paper and make the building disappear. It takes an Act of Congress.
2. The Filibuster: Even with a Republican majority, getting 60 votes in the Senate to completely abolish the department is a tall order.
3. The "RIF" Strategy: Instead of a full shutdown, the administration has been using "Reduction in Force" (RIF) actions to lay off federal workers and "starve" the agency of its ability to function.

As of early 2026, we’ve seen a "soft" dismantling. Many offices are being defunded, and civil rights investigations have slowed to a crawl. It’s a "death by a thousand cuts" approach rather than a single explosion.

What This Means for You

So, what should you actually do with this information? Whether you're a parent, a student, or just a taxpayer, the landscape is shifting under your feet.

• Watch your local state legislature: As federal control fades, your state’s "School Choice" or "Parental Rights" bills become way more important. That’s where the real decisions about curriculum and funding will happen now.
• Check your student loan servicer: If the push to privatize the portfolio continues, your interest rates and repayment options might change. Don’t just set it and forget it.
• Look into ESAs: Many states are launching Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) as a result of this federal shift. This might allow you to use tax dollars for private tuition or homeschooling materials.

The bottom line is that the push to close the department isn't just "politics as usual." It’s an attempt to fundamentally rewire how American children are raised and who gets to decide what they learn. Whether that’s a "return to freedom" or a "betrayal of public education" depends entirely on which side of the aisle you’re standing on.

Actionable Next Steps:

1. Identify your state’s dependency: Search for "[Your State] percentage of education budget from federal government" to see how much skin your local schools have in this game.
2. Monitor the Department of Treasury: Since the GOP wants to move student loans there, keep an eye on Treasury announcements regarding "Direct Loan" transitions.
3. Engage with your local school board: With federal oversight receding, local boards now have unprecedented power over civil rights and curriculum—attend a meeting to see where they stand.