(NewsNation) — Heritage Foundation fellow Jonathan Butcher said shutting down the Department of Education “needs to be a priority for conservatives.”
President Donald Trump will not sign an executive order Thursday asking new Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin dissolving the department, a White House official confirmed to NewsNation.
Butcher, a researcher at the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank, noted of the DOE, “The important parts can be moved,” acknowledging that some programs are “crucial.”
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The White House has reversed course and will continue to review the department, a White House official said. An official previously told NewsNation the signing would take place Thursday afternoon.
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A draft of the executive order was obtained by The Wall Street Journal early Thursday morning. The draft reportedly directed McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure.”
According to the Journal’s reporting, McMahon would be instructed to do whatever it takes to shutter the agency based on “the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law.”
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The long-promised closure of the department could have major implications on what kids learn, how schools are funded and the future of student loans for millions.
Trump has previously accused the department of “indoctrinating young people with inappropriate racial, sexual and political material.” He campaigned on the idea of giving educational power to the states.
NewsNation’s Anna Kutz contributed to this report.
