Molly Ball

What the Department of Education primarily does is twofold. It is civil rights enforcement, making sure that local school districts follow civil rights law, and it's funding for low-income students and students with disabilities. And that funding has to continue. These are functions that are not optional.

What the Department of Education primarily does is twofold. It is civil rights enforcement, making sure that local school districts follow civil rights law, and it's funding for low-income students and students with disabilities. And that funding has to continue. These are functions that are not optional.

What the Department of Education primarily does is twofold. It is civil rights enforcement, making sure that local school districts follow civil rights law, and it's funding for low-income students and students with disabilities. And that funding has to continue. These are functions that are not optional.

They're congressionally mandated that, you know, this money gets spent to support students with disabilities, for example.

They're congressionally mandated that, you know, this money gets spent to support students with disabilities, for example.

They're congressionally mandated that, you know, this money gets spent to support students with disabilities, for example.

Correct. The idea is that it might be moved into different parts of the government or sort of block granted to the states rather than having a federal department that administers it. In practice, I think we have yet to see whether they can pull that off and how disruptive it may be, how much people may notice it in their everyday lives as a disruption to services that they rely on.

Correct. The idea is that it might be moved into different parts of the government or sort of block granted to the states rather than having a federal department that administers it. In practice, I think we have yet to see whether they can pull that off and how disruptive it may be, how much people may notice it in their everyday lives as a disruption to services that they rely on.

Correct. The idea is that it might be moved into different parts of the government or sort of block granted to the states rather than having a federal department that administers it. In practice, I think we have yet to see whether they can pull that off and how disruptive it may be, how much people may notice it in their everyday lives as a disruption to services that they rely on.

For decades, Republicans have said they want to get rid of the Department of Education, and then they get elected and they get into office and they don't do it.

For decades, Republicans have said they want to get rid of the Department of Education, and then they get elected and they get into office and they don't do it.

For decades, Republicans have said they want to get rid of the Department of Education, and then they get elected and they get into office and they don't do it.

And the reason they don't do it is because there's a feeling that the politics of it are prohibitive, that it sounds nice as a campaign promise, but once you actually start meddling with people's education and with the education of their children— that leads to a lot of political blowback.

And the reason they don't do it is because there's a feeling that the politics of it are prohibitive, that it sounds nice as a campaign promise, but once you actually start meddling with people's education and with the education of their children— that leads to a lot of political blowback.

And the reason they don't do it is because there's a feeling that the politics of it are prohibitive, that it sounds nice as a campaign promise, but once you actually start meddling with people's education and with the education of their children— that leads to a lot of political blowback.

So Reagan, for example, tried to do this and then backed off, and other presidents have not even really wanted to touch it, despite various promises in this regard.

So Reagan, for example, tried to do this and then backed off, and other presidents have not even really wanted to touch it, despite various promises in this regard.

So Reagan, for example, tried to do this and then backed off, and other presidents have not even really wanted to touch it, despite various promises in this regard.

The principal thing that the Democrats demanded was some kind of structural check on Elon Musk and Doge, some kind of language that would say that, Basically, the executive branch has to do what Congress tells them to do, that if they're going to pass this funding, you know, the president has to abide by that. And the Republicans didn't agree to that.

The principal thing that the Democrats demanded was some kind of structural check on Elon Musk and Doge, some kind of language that would say that, Basically, the executive branch has to do what Congress tells them to do, that if they're going to pass this funding, you know, the president has to abide by that. And the Republicans didn't agree to that.