Donald Trump Signed an Executive Order to Eliminate the U.S. Department of Education.

The Department of Education currently manages a student loan debt portfolio of more than $1.6 trillion. This means the Federal student aid program is roughly the size of one of the Nation’s largest banks, Wells Fargo. But although Wells Fargo has more than 200,000 employees, the Department of Education has fewer than 1,500 in its Office of Federal Student Aid. The Department of Education is not a bank, and it must return bank functions to an entity equipped to serve America’s students.
Move student loans to private banks! There it is.
- so what im hearing is the DoE was way more efficent, and deserved additional funding, right?
- What I understand is that they are more efficient, and loans aren't even it's core business..
- Would this mean people can finally default on those loans? That would at least be a silver lining.
- I mean they basically already do this, my student loan was moved to a private servicer which basically is just a company that collects the money from my loans.

The conservatives have been objecting to the Dept of Education since its inception just after the Civil War.
Their objectio then is the same now. Alrhough they don't say it out loud anymore.
That it is dangerous, to the wealthy, to educate the lower classes

Because US Americans are too damn educated today and we need them to be less educated /s
- The poor masses are to be used as cannon fodder and slaves for the privately educated children of the ruling class.

America is an unserious country.

The US is rapidly becoming the world's largest third-world country.
- 50 third world countries in a trenchcoat.
- Depending on where you go they long have been. As a Canadian the difference between our countries is jarring as soon as you step off the beaten path.
  Edit - I wanted to elaborate for those not in the know. I grew up lower middle class in Canada and have been to many smaller areas in America over the years. The poor in Canada still have education and healthcare covered by the state. Poor people are easily distinguishable but at the same time they are very much the same as everyone else.
  In Canada, you take the wrong turn and you're going to be met by a friendly stranger who will help you and point you in the right direction. In America, you take the wrong turn and you're Ned Beatty in Deliverance.
  
  The true stereotype isn't that Canadians are overly nice. The true stereotype is that Americans are overly hateful.
- Fun fact. The United States is and always will be 1st world by definition. The 'Three Worlds ' model comes down to the cold war where a country is aligned with the United States, the Soviet Union, or neutral. Switzerland is a 3rd world country. What people generally call the third world is better describe as 'global south', and they either ignore 1st and 2nd world completely or neglect the 2nd world completely and call themselves the 1st world. With regard to the United States I think you mean it's becoming the biggest fucking piece of shit country, or you might mean it is no longer aligned with itself, plans to leave NATO, is not aligned with the soviet union, and is then by definition the largest 3rd world country.
  
  I mean... You have the assumption that definitions do not change.
  
  Huh. I always thought it was 1st, democracy, 2nd communism, 3rd all else. I'll be damned it literally was just "hey these guys don't like us, and these guys really don't like us and they also hate the soviets."
- Becoming? One could argue it’s already there and has been.
- No, they're about as capitalist as you can be. Wtf.
- "Becoming"? Do a search for "Portland tent city".

I'm sorry anyone in a red state. You and your children will never learn a goddamn thing of worth again. Fuck this country.
- My mom is a school counselor at a tiny school in a tiny town in Montana. There is no way the school stays open. Or 90% of our public schools for that matter. Part of me wants to tell her "I told you so" but generally it just sucks so bad I don't have the energy
  
  But they do need to be constantly reminded that their actions are what put us in this place. Forgiveness can only go so far before you have to hold people accountable for their actions. Otherwise, nothing will ever change, just continual repeat.
- I'm so grateful my daughter hated Indiana her entire life and fled to Illinois immediately after undergrad. Two of my grandchildren are there with her, and I have one here. I'll be ensuring his parents read to him because I know I will. And I'll campaign to his other grandparents and aunts. I refuse to let that boy get fucked over because this country is full of stupid misogynistic, racists cunts.
- Good news! They already weren't. Red state public schools have been indoctrination camps for about a decade now.
  
  That doesn't sound like good news at all.

This entire executive order is about privatizing education and taking control of the loans to give to billionaires. States already fund their own education.
This really doesn’t effect the states education budget too much.
- doesn’t affect* the states'* education budgets*

The fun thing is that authority over education is already in the hands of the states. And I bet that ED is already understaffed, so they probably can't ensure the things in the last line if they fire people. All that makes the order effectively already met.

Is america already great again?
- The hilarious thing about that is, up into the 1970s secondary education in California was free to CA residents, and out of state students paid far less then $200 a semester.
  
  Remember this, Reagan started this.
- Make america Gregg again — the dyslexic

good, now we can finally indebt 8 year olds too not just college students. they had it too good for too long
--trump, probably
- I've definitely heard of lunch debt, so I think it's already happening.

Well, he does love the uneducated...

The Department of Education was established by Congress. Elimination of it will take an act of Congress. This man is the biggest puppet ever.
- Why do you think they'll follow any sort of law or rule? Legitimate question.
  They can tell everyone they're fired, change the locks/codes. Shutdown emails etc. and there is literally nobody that will stop them.
  Except us with weaponry.
  
  the 2th amendment existing was no accident.
- I think what we've seen is that Congress only has the powers that it uses. Sure, they could stop trump from nuking the DoE, but if they don't do shit, then it doesn't matter.
  If you live in a state in the US, then you have a congress critter (multiple really) that represents you. Red, Blue, or independent, go to their town halls, go to their open forums, go to their offices, and tell them to do their fucking job. Whether that is officially closing the DoE, or preventing trump from doing it, they need to legislate it.
  Edit:
  https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
  You can look up your Senators and Rep here. Just called all 3 of my Congressmen and told them to do their jobs and legislate. I got through to my Rep's office (they're smaller and local) and left messages for both of my senators. All three are feckless republican shit-hawks, but at least I let them know they need to exercise the checks congress has, and that felt pretty good.
  
  The law has always been a matter of what is or can be enforced, rather than what is written. Which is why it's been excruciating to listen to MAGA family members try to defend voting for reps who have been saying for years that they plan to eliminate the Social Security and Medicare on which those MAGAs depend. "They can't just do that! My tax dollars paid for it! And have you heard KaMAla's laugh??"
- Montesquieu knew what was up. If Donald declares himself King and we don't meaningfully say no as a society, then he's a king. The constitution isn't going to rise up out of its case and shoot atomic fire at him, it's just an old piece of paper that only matters insofar as we believe in it. And, well, [gestures around] I'd say that ship has pretty well sailed.

This dude is disgusting a traitor and by far one of the most vile men to walk this earth all he's missing is millions of dead bodies like his Nazi idol.
America is disgusting.
Where's all that talk about "my 2nd amendment rights" wake up America you're a fascist country now. Use your guns before it's too late.
- In case you missed it: most of the people crying about their 2nd amendment rights and duties are the people that applaud this. The rest is aware that making use of their right would mean a civil war with former group.
  
  No I didn't miss that.
  But yall act like the left don't have guns. I have guns and I'm progressive. I served this country.
  Fuck those people they are domestic terrorists. History repeats itself and we need to wake the fuck up, it sucks no one wants to fight but yet we are laying down and allowing tyranny to take hold. 249 years of the American idea being dismantled in weeks by a sediotious traitor.
- He has a few hundred thousand excess COVID deaths.
- Coming for guns will be right after medicaid and social security.
  
  This is where they will kill me at my door step. My family didn't escape Cuban dictatorship for me to be born in America and allow the same shit to happen here. Fuck that.
  I'm ok with gun laws and harder checks to get them cause school shootings are terrible problem in the states i.e go back to pre 2004 where AR15s were banned but we still had guns needed to do our tasks.. But I refuse to give up my right to bear arms.
  Share it with the rest I know they coming for our guns.
  Project2025.observer

USA is becoming a dictatorship in 10... 9... 8... 7...
- kinda late on that countdown mate.
- Yeah, we're at 2.

It turns out the ones indoctrinating the kids have been the conservatives all along.
Fuck school choice vouchers.
- And the voucher / charter system is exactly what evangelicals (sorry, christofascists) want, because it strengthens their Western civilization (sorry, white nationalism).

HE got by without an education. So can you.

The stupidest part of all this is its going to hurt the red states the most. Blue states already have great education
- Can conservatives even get more stupid?
  I would have thought voting for a felon rapist traitor who gives tax breaks to the wealthy over an actual prosecutor was rock bottom.
  But I guess there is no rock bottom for conservatives.
  
  The rock bottom is mass murder and wars that kill millions or billions — considering nukes and global warming — up to and including the extinction of the species, and death of the planet.
  
  It's all to have the state gov'ts use tax money to fund religious schools.
  
  You ever hear of the war of northern aggression? How about the traitor of the union Abe Lincoln?
  You are gonna hear alot of this in the future
  
  Only if they go to Jupiter.
- Fuck the red states. Let em rot.
  
  Sadly a lot of good people still live in red states. I'd prefer them not to suffer because of what they're "betters" decide for them.
- You are assumng that an educated population is a goal.
- The poorly educated are more susceptible to misinformation and manipulation. This will make the red states redder.
  
  They are already red. What difference does it make?
  They will realise how fucked they are once their doctors start treating them with leeches again.
- wouldnt that mean itll affect blue states the most? they cant break whats already broken, but can surely break that which works well
  
  No. Most blue states have adequate taxation to maintain operations without federal funds, and the federal funds go towards enhancements. Actually I'm pretty certain this won't affect any blue state beyond a headache of having to rearrange budgets. But I also happen to know that a lot of school districts in my state at least anticipated this happening and have taken measures in advance to keep the education unimpeded.
  Edit: additionally, most blue states only receive funds from the Dept. of Education in the forms of higher education. This will have a lasting impact on academia, but not basic education, which is far more vital.
  
  Ok, so sure, a reasonably large chunk of all states education budget is going away, but for the states that do well, the hole will both be a smaller portion of the overall budget, and easier to make up.
  No child left behind testing goes away, so the testing and standards all go away. You can bet the bottom 25 states in education ranking will quietly stop testing and claim they're doing just great!
  It's the special Ed programs that are really going to catch hell. No dept. of Ed. no enforcement of standards. It will be the easiest portion to cut to save money, and the families left in the lurch will get nothing but thoughts and prayers to fill the gap.
  
  Blue states have the money to deal with the issue on its own.
- Red states want this.
  
  The way a child wants to stick a fork in an outlet.
- This is the information that they don't hear or that they believe is "fake news"

But although Wells Fargo has more than 200,000 employees, the Department of Education has fewer than 1,500 in its Office of Federal Student Aid.
So it's more efficient than a bank, BUT needs to be run by an actual bank? How stupid does he think we are?
- 77,302,580 americans are that stupid...
- How stupid does he think we are?
  Before or after destroying the Department of Education? The entire reason behind this is that uneducated people don't know their rights or how the government works, so the GOP can run roughshod over our rights.
  
  It's white supremacy all the way down. We never excised them from society. We need radiation and chemotherapy for the cancer that evangelicals (christofascists) are.

Congratulations!! This means the average person in America is already too educated. Right!? Right?
- Sadly... that is kinda true. Tons of jobs require a college degree that is completely unnecessary. It just a way for companies to support the schools their leadership went to. But of course, that has nothing to do with the department of education.
- The far right definitely thinks Americans are too educated…even at the current level of ignorance and stupidity.

So I assume all the special ed money in Red states will now just go into a slush fund to accelerate executions, and an amplification of attacks on marginalized groups instead of helping kids/families.

My God, this is beyond sad.

Was on the radio, some notes:
The responsibility of FAFSA (which is 2/3 of it's budget) likely goes to Treasury and honestly I don't think they can realistically pull that back legally, at least anytime soon. Disability funds supposedly will move somewhere too.
The DoE itself likely will exist in the same limbo as USAID since legally it requires Congress, and judges can and will challenge illegal moves. That said, I say limbo because USAID may have got people back but empty buildings and ongoing stuff is ruined. Expect that from DoE, even though it shouldn't be allowed.
My own info, though, is they only provide public schools about 5 to 10% budget on average, and yes, it's heavily towards rural districts. This likely will have very little impact on blue states, although don't go celebrating as budgets are already tight in several places and even blue states will cut into education to fund other things like fire relief. Our Blue states are still no where near as good as many European and Asian country educational institutions.
- The money from federal grants mostly goes towards vulnerable student populations like special education, English learners, and poverty. So the most vulnerable students will probably feel these cuts the most, unless states step up to address the gaps.
- I hope whoever is considering cutting the DoE realizes that among the many, many things they do is nuclear weapons research
  
  I think you're thinking of the department of energy, not education.

But he needs Congressional approval to do so.
- I'm looking forward to Schumer whipping up enough bootlickers on the dem side to pass this in the spirit of cooperation
  
  Crunchy-granola birkenstock-wearing pacifist hippie boomer Democrats versus uneducated inbred heavily armed MAGA Tea Party Republicans. Who will win?
- Pretending that the old rules still apply is how Empires fall.
- Only if anybody stops him, which is only partially happening right now. Courts are being ignored.
- I think Schumer and the other spineless Dems will have no problem bending over and being a submissive bitch for him like they did with the funding.
- He needs to have not committed insurrection to become President.
- Says who

Well, if you don't live in a city shit is about to get bad. Public education was basically one key thing keeping the US as a first world nation.

Wow.
I looked at the articles that was expecting for that to happen today, never thought he would actually do it.
- Yet more evidence that trump is an agent of Putin and is actively dismantling the United States one piece at a time
- What in the past 3 months gave you the impression that it wouldn't?
- It was literally in the playbook and talked about constantly, because it's about boosting private schools under the guise of parent choice/states rights. Will allow the Right to funnel tons of money into indoctrinating kids and white washing history (more than it already is in the US).

This isn't something Trump would even care about. He's being handled very well this time around.
Remember Rick Perry wanted to close the department of Education as well. It's been on the Republican checklist for a while now.
- It’s p25.

Super embarrassing. Fucking idiots and their followers

Does this mean schools can now give as many trans rights as they want? State rights?
- Welp, if the main reason not to is out of fear of losing federal funding...
  Seems Trumpy has kind of shot himself in the foot on this one.
- According to some (now in power):
  States have Rights only while the States conform. (See the Governor of Maine's "I'll see you in court" to Trump?)
  Much like Speech is Free so long as it conforms. (The Washington Post continues to find out.)

I think they do something like "soft secession". Instead of breaking the federation apart officially, they're eroding the federation (federal government) to the point where it's no longer relevant. They talk about "state's rights".
- They're accelerationists. They're burning the system down so they can build their own in its place.
- Legit should have just let the CSA go after burning them to the ground.

I think the practical problems with this are going to be weird. The federal Department of Education is pretty small and doesn’t set as much policy as people assume since that’s 90% done at the state and local level. The college student loan program is a huge component and could theoretically be ruined or just moved to Treasury or HHS or whatever.
The rest is mostly grants to state and local governments and red state politicians are going to be even more pissed than blue if they kill those and put a hole in their budget that has to be filled. (Doesn’t mean they won’t do it but it’s not going to please any governors/legislators.)
The people who will likely suffer most are special ed students since those grants are, obviously, for public schools and private/parochial schools basically never have programs for students with severe, profound, or mild autism. (I don’t know the current terms but when I was in high school, people with, for instance, autism were classified as severe, profound, mild, or moderate based on where they fell on the spectrum. Those terms are probably outdated or were unique to my school system.)
- put a hole in their budget that has to be filled.
  Who says it has to be filled? Republicans certainly don't.
  
  In normal times, I’d say it’s complicated. There’s a lot of suburban parents who are busy and tune out the news but get very politically activated if you start fucking with schools (and student aid because that’s fucking with their money).
  Not sure if MAGA cares — I don’t know if we’ll even have elections — but don’t underestimate parents to be late to the fight but then want to gouge out a politician’s eyes.

This will be in the courts by the end of next week marking it unconstitutional
- And then nothing will be done about it.

Remember, he loves the poorly educated.

Just wait til the red states get mad that blue states won't take their spawn in for a college education due to being said far behind what is expected of someone to graduate from a blue stat HS
- Speaking as a blue state taxpayer, I'd rather we give them whatever remedial education they need instead of turning them away.

"I love the poorly educated"- Trump, 2016

This is fucking horrifying. Americans you need to do something wtf is going on down there
- A significant portion of our population, primarily in Republican controlled regions, didn't receive an adequate education, so they lack critical thinking skills or any concept of how our government actually functions.
  
  But why aren't you burning down the white house?
  
  Don't forget those that want public education to fail so that they can make money off the private schools and people who want private schools so they can discriminate legally.
- Capitalism.
  
  And white supremacy.
- If you speak out about it you're seen as a "Radical" and/or "Leftist"
  We have a bad bad case of "-That- would never happen -here!-"

If the control of education is going to return to the state level, maybe this will be the solution for the mass exodus from blue states. You want an actual good education? Don’t move to Texas.
- One could simply live in a college dorm at a blue-state college, and then after graduation move to a dogshit red state with more affordable housing and get a remote white-collar job that pays six figures.
  
  I’m thinking grade school. People decide where they will live based on education for their children.

I voted for the Rapist Convicted Felon because I'm a LAW AND ORDER voter and I SUPPORT this even though it's Illegal!
- Your comments never disappoint

Mexico education levels coming right up! Oh nevermind they're ahead now...Colombia! Peru? Angola? Ah! Antarctica! The king penguin colony! Penguins are retarded. You can tell because the males give ugly rocks to the females.

"I DECLARE BANKRUPTCY!" vibes.

It would be hilarious if some judge deems this order illegal because the Secretary can’t do what the order calls for if it means they have no department to run.

Gotta be a new rule/law made that your EO is invalidated if you preface it with provably false info. Authority already lies with the states. If they rejected Federal funds they'd practically achieve the same end goal. Main difference being blue states can't get the funding either and civil rights violations will go unchecked.

This is that you voted for protest-non-voters. Congratulations!
- Like Schumer isn't whipping up a bipartisan support bill right now to signal his "willingness to compromise"
  
  Every time Republicans do something stupid, BHB replies: "Thanks non-voters! This is all your fault! :^)"
  Every time Democrats do something stupid, BHB: "This is just slander, you're spamming our public fourm with this! How dare you call out my team doing something genuinely so stupid! Don't ask me to reply, that's a strawman!"
  Barqs would wait in line for Trump to shoot him if Schumer voted yes for it.