This action, I suggested, was at odds with President Donald Trump, who is from the same party as the House and Senate majorities, having promoted during his 2024 presidential campaign and since his desire to drastically reduce and even eliminate this Cabinet department.

Here is an update. On Tuesday, Trump signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act (HR 7148) that funds the Department of Education for fiscal year 2026 with a slight increase percentagewise over last year's amount.

Eric Boehm provided in a Thursday Reason article details about provisions in HR 7148 concerning the Education Department that, in addition to continuing funding at about the same level as before Trump started his current presidential term, include "language that prohibits parts of the department from being downsized or decentralized." Read Boehm's article here.