
Reporting by AFP's David Lawler
Reporting by AFP's David Lawler
Trump Vows to Work With Congress to Reform Education Department
WASHINGTON, D.C. — US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he still wants to work with Congress on the future of the department of education, as multiple reports suggested he was drafting executive orders to shut it down completely.
Trump cannot abolish the department without the approval of Congress, which he is unlikely to get, but US media reported Tuesday that he would issue orders to effectively dismantle it from inside.
I want the states to run schools, and I want Linda to put herself out of a job, Trump told reporters at the White House Tuesday, referring to his pick for education secretary, Linda McMahon.
Asked whether he plans to resort to an executive order or collaborate with Congress, Trump said I think I'd work with Congress.
He added that he would also have to work with teachers' unions because the teachers union is the only one that's opposed to it.
The National Education Association, the largest labor union in the country, described Trump's plans as a direct attack on our students, educators, and public schools.