Department of Education Resumes Closure

The U.S. Supreme Court has lifted a lower court’s injunction that had temporarily blocked the Trump administration from dramatically scaling back the U.S. Department of Education. The decision allows the administration to move forward with its plan to reduce the footprint of the agency—a plan that contains both elimination of programs and personnel as well as reorganization of certain programs to other federal agencies. The plan was set into motion by an Executive Order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon, “to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education.”

Analysis and eternal perspective: At the core of this story is a debate about constitutional authority. The Department of Education was established by Congress in 1979 and can only be legally eliminated by a subsequent act of Congress. The President, however, as the chief executive, is responsible for guiding and administering the actions of all executive agencies. In this case, the President has chosen a path of emptying out the department as a first step toward “facilitat[ing] the closure” of the department. The lower court ruled this action was essentially the same as eliminating the Department, but the Supreme Court found the action to be consistent with the President’s authority to oversee the executive branch.

No matter where you fall on the merits of the Department of Education, there is cause to be grateful for the principle of separation of manmade powers. When America’s Founders created a constitutional republic that divided authorities between several powers, they were acknowledging a biblical encouragement to seek wisdom in a multitude of counselors (Pr. 11:14).

In this case, the Article I branch (Congress) has the power to create, fund, and eliminate federal agencies, but the Article II branch (the President) has the power to administrate the actions of such agencies. It is intentionally structured to create a certain amount of competition between the branches as a means to guard against perpetual growth of government.

There is a personal application for you and me, as well. We should be inviting trusted God-fearing voices in our life to test the strength of our decisions. This will absolutely—and necessarily—produce a certain amount of “conflict” in our decision-making. While sometimes uncomfortable, the result is confidence in the path before you (Ps. 27:11).

“Teach me your way, Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors” (Ps. 27:11).

“For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers” (Pr. 11:14).

The following article originally appeared in Thann’s “The Equipped” Weekly Newsletter. For more information on Thann’s weekly email, click here.