Education Dept Downsizing Continues With Move

The Department of Education will relocate from its headquarters to a smaller Washington office as part of the Trump administration's effort to scale down the agency, officials said Thursday.

The department has reduced its workforce through layoffs since President Donald Trump took office, and its headquarters has been about 70% vacant, according to the agency.

The Department of Energy will take over the building's lease.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon described the move as a milestone in the administration's effort to wind down the department, which Trump directed to move toward closing down about a year ago.

"Thanks to the hard work of so many, we have made unprecedented progress in reducing the federal education footprint, and now we are pleased to give this building to an agency that will benefit far more from its space than the Department of Education," McMahon said in a written statement.

The relocation to another office space in Washington is planned for August.

Administration officials said the move would reduce costs by eliminating unused space and avoiding maintenance expenses tied to the Energy Department's current headquarters.

The relocation is one of several steps the administration has taken as part of its broader plan to restructure the Education Department.

The union representing department employees criticized the move.

"The message the Secretary's announcement sends to our staff and the American public is clear — education is next on the chopping block," said Rachel Gittleman, president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, in a statement.

Only Congress has the authority to eliminate the department, though the administration has shifted some programs and functions to other agencies through what it describes as "interagency agreements."

Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, the top Democrat on the House Education and Workforce Committee, said the move represents one of the most "overt actions" taken to shut down the agency.

"This decision to close the Department's physical building is not just a symbolic move," Scott said in a statement. "It reflects a broader effort to reduce the federal government's role in ensuring people have equal access to a quality education."

In a recent step, the administration assigned management of student loans in default to the Treasury Department.

Responsibility for the remainder of the $1.7 trillion federal student loan portfolio is also expected to transfer to Treasury at a later date.

Over the past year, programs related to areas such as family engagement, funding for low-income schools, and teacher training have been moved to agencies including the departments of Health and Human Services and Labor.