Democrats Target Trump’s Education Agenda With Investigations, Funding Restrictions/ NEWSLOOKS/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Democrats preparing to control Congress plan to investigate President Donald Trump’s dismantling of the Education Department and his administration’s treatment of schools and universities. Lawmakers are considering funding restrictions to prevent further changes, although reversing decisions already implemented would be harder. Trump’s veto power presents a major obstacle to legislation, leaving Democrats to weigh oversight, budget negotiations and public pressure.
Quick Look
- Oversight plans: Rep. Bobby Scott intends to investigate department restructuring, student loans and discrimination enforcement.
- Records preservation: Scott asked 10 federal agencies to retain documents for potential congressional review.
- Funding leverage: Senate Democrats are considering spending conditions to limit further dismantling.
- Agency transfers: Advocates want education functions returned from the Health and Human Services and Justice departments.
- Veto obstacle: Trump has threatened to reject Democratic legislation he opposes.
- University scrutiny: Democrats also want to examine federal funding pressure on Harvard and other institutions.
- Conservative push: The Heritage Foundation is urging outgoing Republican majorities to pursue legislation closing the department.
Deep Look
Democrats Prepare Education Investigations as Congressional Control Shifts
WASHINGTON — Democrats are preparing to challenge President Donald Trump’s education agenda when they take control of Congress, with investigations and federal spending restrictions emerging as their strongest available tools.
Their priorities include examining the dismantling of the Education Department, changes to student loan oversight and the administration’s approach to discrimination complaints in schools.
But congressional control will not automatically allow Democrats to reverse the administration’s actions. Trump has threatened to veto legislation he opposes, and the White House has shown no indication that it will abandon efforts to close the department or eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
That leaves incoming Democratic leaders seeking ways to uncover decision-making, prevent additional changes and increase political pressure on the administration.
Bobby Scott Plans Hearings and Subpoenas
Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, said he intends to “leave no rock unturned” when Democrats gain the panel’s investigative powers.
Those powers include holding hearings and issuing subpoenas to obtain testimony and records.
Scott said the committee is preparing to examine the department’s restructuring, management of federal student loans and enforcement of anti-discrimination protections.
Under Trump, the department has emphasized investigations involving transgender issues while retreating from efforts to address systemic racism in schools.
A day after the election, Scott sent letters to 10 federal agencies reminding them to preserve records that could become relevant to congressional investigations.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., also urged Democrats to “hold the Trump administration accountable for dismantling the Department of Education and turning its back on students.”
Administration Rejects Democratic Oversight Plans
Trump officials characterized the planned investigations as an effort to obstruct Education Secretary Linda McMahon.
Education Department spokesperson Savannah Newhouse accused Democrats of plotting to “prematurely sabotage” McMahon.
White House spokesperson Liz Huston said Democrats had failed American students through “disastrous leadership” before Trump returned to office.
The exchanges signal a confrontation over education policy even as Democrats face competing demands to investigate other administration activities and address household costs.
Spending Bills Could Offer More Direct Leverage
Investigations can reveal how policies were developed and place officials under public scrutiny, but they do not automatically stop executive branch actions.
Senate Democrats are therefore exploring conditions on federal spending as a more direct way to restrain the administration.
“I think there will be an interest in using the power of the purse to establish guard rails and prevent these abusive practices,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Democrats unsuccessfully sought broad protections against further dismantling of the Education Department in a funding bill last year. With majorities in both chambers approaching, they intend to revisit that strategy.
Van Hollen said spending restrictions could help “stop the bleeding,” although restoring programs and administrative capacity would present a greater challenge.
“It’s a little harder to try to rebuild an entity just through an appropriations bill,” he said. “But we can certainly try to prevent further damage and then seek to reverse the harm that’s been done.”
Advocates Want Education Functions Returned to the Department
Education advocates are pressing lawmakers to go beyond preventing additional changes.
Some want spending legislation to direct the administration to reverse agreements transferring Education Department responsibilities to other federal agencies.
Those changes include placing special education programs under the Department of Health and Human Services and moving investigations of school discrimination complaints to the Justice Department.
“I think it’s going to become more and more apparent that they don’t have the authority just to keep dismantling some of these offices,” said Aaron Ament, president of Student Defense.
The advocacy organization represents plaintiffs challenging the department’s dismantling in court.
Trump’s administration has reduced the department’s workforce by nearly half and signed agreements distributing major responsibilities elsewhere in the government.
University Funding Battles Could Draw Congressional Attention
Democrats are also considering spending conditions aimed at limiting the administration’s use of federal funding to influence university policies.
Van Hollen cited repeated efforts to cut funding to Harvard and other prominent institutions as potential areas for congressional action.
“That said,” he added, “we’re dealing with an administration that has demonstrated no respect for the law.”
The administration has used funding pressure to pursue changes involving DEI programs and international student enrollment.
Some education advocates also hope the incoming Senate will have an opportunity to scrutinize Trump’s nominee to replace Harmeet Dhillon, who resigned as head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division last Thursday.
Dhillon helped lead investigations into elite universities. However, Trump’s promotion of Stephen Miller to White House chief of staff has heightened concerns among advocates anticipating continued aggressive policies.
Advocates Push for Legislation Despite Veto Threat
Some education organizations want Democrats to advance ambitious proposals even when enactment appears unlikely.
Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors, said the political environment prompted the organization to endorse candidates during the midterms for the first time.
Its endorsements included Abdul El-Sayed, a former professor who won Michigan’s open Senate seat.
Wolfson wants Democrats to pursue a broader campaign for free public higher education alongside efforts to reverse Trump administration policies.
“Most other countries have figured this out, and we can too,” he said.
Such a proposal faces little prospect of becoming law while Trump remains president.
Still, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said lawmakers should force a public debate by sending legislation to the White House.
“Even if he vetoes them, let’s put the pressure on to get it to his desk, and then you see what the contrast is,” she said.
Conservatives Seek Action Before Republicans Lose Control
Conservative organizations are pushing in the opposite direction during the remaining weeks of Republican congressional control.
A day after the election, the Heritage Foundation urged Republican lawmakers to introduce legislation closing the Education Department and removing references to it from federal law.
The organization argued that the department, which opened in 1980, had failed to demonstrate its value and called on Republicans to work with McMahon “to sunset this failed bureaucracy.”
Education nevertheless faces competition for attention in the next Congress. The midterms centered more heavily on economic dissatisfaction and the Iran war, while Democrats’ planned investigations span presidential financial interests, immigration enforcement and other administration policies.
For education lawmakers, the immediate challenge will be converting their new oversight and spending authority into limits that can survive a confrontation with the White House.
More on US News