July 30, 2026 – Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski joined Democrats and Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins on Thursday to advance legislation designed to block a major part of President Donald Trump’s plan to dismantle the US Department of Education.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee voted 13–9 to advance Senate Bill 5046, introduced by Democrat Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, with Murkowski and Collins as original cosponsors.
The bill would prohibit Education Secretary Linda McMahon from transferring four offices or the programs they administer to other federal departments.
Those include the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Office of Postsecondary Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, and Office of Indian Education.
Democrats Sens. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin also cosponsored the legislation.
Murkowski’s move is a direct challenge to the Trump administration’s effort to reduce the Education Department’s operational footprint while keeping congressionally authorized programs and funding in place.
Trump signed an executive order in March 2025 directing McMahon to take all steps permitted by law to facilitate the department’s closure, return greater authority to states and local communities, and ensure the uninterrupted delivery of programs and benefits.
The Education Department cannot be formally abolished without an act of Congress. But it can be downsized. The administration has been using interagency agreements to shift the day-to-day administration of some programs to departments it says are better equipped to handle them.
At least 14 such agreements had been pursued by mid-2026, involving the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Interior, State, Treasury and Justice.
The administration considers the agreements a test of whether federal education programs can function without a separate Cabinet-level bureaucracy devoted exclusively to education. McMahon has described the approach as a “proof of concept” for Congress as it considers whether to make the changes permanent.
Under the restructuring, workforce-related education programs may be aligned with the Department of Labor, disability and early-childhood programs with Health and Human Services, tribal education programs with Interior, and international education functions with the State Department.
The Education Department generally retains its statutory authority and oversight, while partner agencies may assume responsibility for grant administration and other daily operations.
For example, an agreement involving the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services and Health and Human Services is intended to coordinate disability services, early-childhood programs, employment assistance and civil-rights enforcement across agencies that already serve many of the same Americans.
The changes could eliminate duplicative administration, reduce federal overhead and direct more education dollars toward students, classrooms and grant recipients. It’s well established that the Education Department has grown in spending and influence without producing corresponding improvements in student achievement.
Murkowski takes the opposite view. Their legislation assumes the receiving agencies lack the staffing and specialized expertise needed to administer education programs without disruption.
The bill prevents the Education Department from continuing to implement covered interagency agreements and would block officials from first moving programs elsewhere within the department and then transferring the functions to another agency.
The bill places Murkowski once again with Democrats and Collins against a central Trump administration objective. The bill would still need approval from the full Senate and House before reaching a president who is pursuing the policy it seeks to stop.
10 thoughts on “Murkowski joins Democrats to block Trump from restructuring Education Department”
If we truly cared about K-12 achievement we would outsource to a country that does it a lot better than us. Instead our focus is spending more on k-12 employees.
> spending more on k-12 employees.
And the vital administrators beginning at 6 figures plus a pop.
Vital…
You could have shortened that to ” Murkowski joins Democrats” and make it a,shortcut for reuse
Once again, TDS impedes progress and efficiency.
Must end Rank Choice Voting in November in order to finally rid ourselves of Murkowski
Must end RCV and boot Murkowski. She works against the interests of both Americans and Alaskans
The Democrat brand is pure poison and Lisa knows it. Nancy and I have told her to stay Republican at least through 2028, then she can officially become a real Democrat, which she is. Meanwhile, Nancy and I have to put up with her and become her official apologists until we both kick the bucket. I really didn’t want to go out like this, but Lisa has caused so much family strife and turmoil for our family that I’m actually looking forward to the day. Goodbye cruel Alaska.
I agree, Frankie. Lisa has cost me many life-long friendships with Republicans and Democrats. Trying to appease one party at the expense of my friends and tea groups, has cost me my health. I feel like a 100 year old woman who is going to end up with few friends and many enemies. All thanks to Lisa.
What difference does it make when both the old farts have big time dementia?
With 3 or 4 government pensions still coming in monthly, Lisa and I will be in fat city when their wills are read. That’s called wealth distribution. I told Lisa that even if Mike Dunleavy beats her in 2028, we’ll have enough to buy two villas and live like the kings and queens that the Murkowskis were born and bred for.
Way to go Vern. You beat the system without doing an honest days worth of work. When’s your book coming out?