On Wednesday, the Education Department implemented widespread cuts across its offices, including its civil rights division, as reported by multiple sources. This action came one day after President Trump expressed a desire to eliminate the department.
According to sources, the layoffs primarily affected newer probationary employees who were hired within the past year. Notification letters regarding the terminations were sent out via email on Tuesday. These letters informed employees of their right to appeal their dismissals to the Merit Systems Protection Board if they believed their terminations were due to “partisan political reasons or because of your marital status.”
The news of the layoffs coincided with billionaire Linda McMahon, Mr. Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Education, facing inquiries from senators during her confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on Thursday.
Mr. Trump has consistently hinted at his intention to eliminate the Department of Education, and his proposals to dismantle significant aspects of the U.S. Agency for International Development indicate he may pursue similar actions against the Education Department. As previously reported by CBS News, the Trump administration is contemplating executive actions that could disband the department, terminate certain programs, and redistribute responsibilities to other government sectors, according to various sources with knowledge of the situation.
“Oh, I would like it to be closed immediately,” the president stated to reporters at the White House on Wednesday. “The Department of Education is a big con job.”
A representative for the American Federation of Government Employees, one of the largest unions for federal employees, mentioned that probationary employees at the Small Business Administration were also impacted. The AFGE does not have a precise count of affected workers at this time, noting they are only aware of those who have reached out to them. McMahon previously led the SBA during Mr. Trump’s first term.
It remains unclear how extensive the layoffs at the Education Department and elsewhere might be.
The firings at the Education Department could complicate McMahon’s confirmation hearing, as Democrats question whether she would comply with any presidential directives to close the department “immediately.”
Late Wednesday, a federal judge approved the Trump administration’s proposal allowing most federal employees to submit a deferred resignation. A senior administration official revealed that about 75,000 federal employees accepted this offer, although unions have cautioned that the federal government may not uphold its commitment to pay these employees through the end of the fiscal year on September 30. The Office of Personnel Management announced that the program is closed to new applicants as of Wednesday night.
