President Trump has signed an executive order directing the Department of Education to start closing down operations, a campaign promise that he made more than two years ago, despite the likely court challenges that are to come.

While the text of the executive order has yet to be made public, the president says that critical programs like funding for disabled children and Pell grants would be protected and administered by different agencies. 

“When President Carter created the federal education department in 1979, it was opposed by members of his own cabinet, as well as the American Federation of Teachers, the New York Times editorial board, and the famed Democrat senator, Daniel Patrick Moynihan,” Mr. Trump said. “History has proven them right — absolutely right.”

“After 45 years, the United States spends more money on education, by far, than any other country and spends likewise, by far, more money per pupil than any country and it’s not even close, and yet we rank near the bottom of the list in terms of success,” he added. 

“We are pleased to be joined today by the woman who I chose, because she’s an extraordinary person and hopefully she will be our last secretary of education — Linda McMahon,” the president said with a smile. “Hopefully we’re gonna find something else for you, Linda.”

In response to the president’s announcement, the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, Senator Cassidy — who once voted to convict Mr. Trump following his second impeachment — said he would introduce legislation to support the administration’s goals. 

“I agree with President Trump that the Department of Education has failed its mission. Since the Department can only be shut down with Congressional approval, I will support the President’s goals by submitting legislation to accomplish this as soon as possible,” Mr. Cassidy said in a statement. 

Ms. McMahon herself has said that the president cannot unilaterally close her department, and that she was simply being tasked with taking on the bureaucracy while Congress worked on a legislative solution. 

“President Trump understands that we’ll be working with Congress,” Ms. McMahon told senators at her confirmation hearing. “We’d like to do this right. We’d like to make sure that we are presenting a plan that I think our senators could get on board with, and our Congress could get on board with, that would have a better functioning Department of Education, but it certainly does require congressional action.”

Mr. Trump also conceded that these reforms, or an outright closure of the education department, would have to be brought to Congress for a vote. 

“Everybody knows it’s right, and the Democrats know it’s right, and I hope they’re gonna be voting for it, because ultimately it may come before them,” Mr. Trump said. 
When Mr. Trump’s plans to dismantle the department were first reported in the press, the American Federation of Teachers president, Randi Weingarten, said simply in a statement: “See you in court.”