A Senate committee has voted to block a central component of the Trump administration’s strategy to reshape the federal Department of Education, approving bipartisan legislation that would prevent the transfer of several major education programs to other federal agencies.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee approved the measure, S. 5046, by a vote of 13-9 on Thursday. The bill was introduced by Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, working alongside Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia.
The legislation specifically prohibits the Department of Education from relocating the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, as well as the offices of Elementary and Secondary Education, Postsecondary Education, and Indian Education to other federal departments.
Administration’s Restructuring Strategy
The committee vote comes in response to the Education Department entering into at least a dozen interagency agreements aimed at moving certain functions to other federal agencies. Education Secretary Linda McMahon has characterized these agreements as a “proof of concept” designed to demonstrate that major education programs can successfully operate outside the Department of Education.
McMahon has stated she hopes Congress will be more willing to eliminate the department entirely if lawmakers can observe the successful transition of these functions to other agencies. President Trump campaigned on a promise to dismantle the Department of Education, which was established 45 years ago during the Carter administration. Any formal dissolution of the department would require congressional action.
A spokesperson for the Education Department criticized the Senate committee’s action as premature. “Secretary McMahon promised Congress a proof of concept that is currently underway and delivering results across our partner agencies, and it is entirely premature to sabotage this effort before it has the chance to eliminate bureaucratic barriers and fully deliver the results that our students, families, and educators deserve,” said Education Department spokeswoman Savannah Newhouse.
Lawmakers Defend Congressional Intent
Senator Collins defended the legislation as a straightforward measure to maintain programs in their congressionally designated location. She argued that the bill keeps the administration of certain education programs “where Congress specifically put them and where they belong.”
Murkowski emphasized that the programs Congress assigned to the Education Department were placed there deliberately. “We cannot lose sight of the fact that at the end of the day, we’re talking about children, whether it’s children with special needs, whether it’s children in our elementary schools, whether it’s our Native students — making sure that we don’t lose that focus,” Murkowski said.
The Senate bill represents an additional layer of congressional pushback beyond non-binding language included in the most recent spending bill, which stated that the Education Department lacks authority to transfer functions to other departments.
Legislative Uncertainty Ahead
The legislation does not halt every interagency agreement the Education Department has pursued, though according to Politico, Democratic lawmakers would prefer to stop all such transfers.
The bill’s path forward remains uncertain. Senator Kaine told Politico he hopes the measure will be considered during appropriations discussions. However, the Senate effort stands in direct conflict with legislation advanced by the House Education and Workforce Committee last month, which would permanently authorize the transfer of certain Education Department functions to other federal agencies.
The competing approaches between the Senate HELP Committee and the House panel highlight the institutional tension over how to proceed with restructuring federal education programs, even as Republicans control both chambers of Congress. The 13-9 vote suggests the Senate bill attracted some Republican support beyond Collins and Murkowski, though the narrow margin indicates significant GOP opposition remains.
The clash sets up a potential showdown between the two chambers over the future structure of federal education programs and the Trump administration’s authority to reorganize executive branch functions without explicit congressional authorization.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/07/31/senate-committee-votes-block-part-trump-admins-effort-dismantle-department-education/