In a significant development, President Donald Trump’s efforts to substantially cut funding for the U.S. Department of Education faced a setback with the approval of a bipartisan spending law. This new legislation not only maintains the department’s funding but also provides a slight increase, marking a direct challenge to Trump’s proposals.
This fiscal year, the Department of Education’s budget has been set at $79 billion, which is $217 million more than its 2025 funding levels and a substantial $12 billion above what the President had requested. Following the signing of this measure, Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, highlighted the law’s opposition to Trump’s initiatives, including the proposal to dissolve the department.
“Our funding bills send a message to Trump,” she stated in a social media post. “Congress will NOT abolish the Department of Education.”
The approved measure also protects various programs aimed at assisting low-income and disadvantaged students from the proposed funding cuts. Over the past year, the Trump administration has been working on plans to reduce the central role of the Department of Education, advocating for state-level control over education.
These plans included agreements with other federal departments to redistribute responsibilities. Additionally, the administration initiated mass layoffs and sought to significantly downsize the department, actions temporarily permitted by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Alongside maintaining education funding, the spending package also secures full-year funding for several other departments, including Defense, Labor, and Health and Human Services, while the Department of Homeland Security receives a two-week stopgap measure.
‘Inefficiencies’
Despite the spending measure, there is no explicit prohibition against transferring the Department of Education’s duties to other agencies, an issue Senate Democrats attempted to address. An explanatory statement from lawmakers expressed concerns about assigning education responsibilities to agencies lacking the expertise and established relationships necessary for effective program management.
Lawmakers warned that such fragmentation could lead to inefficiencies, increased costs for taxpayers, and delays in federal funding reaching intended recipients. To address these issues, the funding measure mandates regular briefings from the Education Department and involved agencies to keep lawmakers informed about the implementation of any interagency agreements.
These briefings are expected to cover a range of topics, including staffing changes, implementation costs, and service delivery metrics. The Education Department has assured that it will retain oversight of its programs despite the interagency agreements.
‘Necessary’ staffing levels
The funding agreement emphasizes the need for the department to support adequate staffing levels to fulfill its responsibilities. This requirement follows a controversial freeze of $6.8 billion in K-12 funds last summer, which was later reversed after bipartisan opposition in Congress.
Pell Grant spared
The new measure maintains the maximum annual Pell Grant award at $7,395, as per a summary by Senate Democrats. Trump’s proposal to cut the grant’s maximum award by nearly $1,700 had previously raised concerns among lawmakers.
Funding levels maintained for TRIO, GEAR UP
Proposals to defund programs like the Federal TRIO Programs and GEAR UP, which support students from disadvantaged backgrounds, were rejected. Instead, the programs received funding consistent with fiscal 2025 levels: $1.191 billion for TRIO and $388 million for GEAR UP.
Funding for the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program, which aids low-income parents in postsecondary education with childcare services, was also maintained, with $75 million allocated.
The Education Department has not commented on the funding package, while the administration expressed broad support for the comprehensive, multi-bill package in a recent statement.
