WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to get rid of the U.S. Department of Education will be far easier said than done.

As Trump seeks to redefine U.S. education policy, the complex logistics, bipartisan congressional approval and redirection of federal programs required make dismantling the department a challenging — not impossible — feat.

It’s an effort that experts say is unlikely to gain traction in Congress and, if enacted, would create roadblocks for how Trump seeks to implement the rest of his wide-ranging education agenda.

“I struggle to wrap my mind around how you get such a bill through Congress that sort of defunds the agency or eliminates the agency,” Derek Black, an education law and policy expert and law professor at the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law, told States Newsroom.

“What you can see more easily is that maybe you give the agency less money, maybe you shrink its footprint, maybe we’ve got an (Office for Civil Rights) that still enforces all these laws, but instead of however many employees they have now, they have fewer employees,” Black, who directs the school’s Constitutional Law Center, added.

What does the department do?

Education is decentralized in the United States, and the federal Education Department has no say in the curriculum of public schools. Much of the funding and oversight of schools occurs at the state and local levels.

Still, the department has leverage through funding a variety of programs, such as for low-income school districts and special education, as well as administering federal student aid.

Axing the department would require those programs be unwound or assigned to other federal agencies to administer, according to Rachel Perera, a fellow in Governance Studies in the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution.

Perera, who studies inequality in K-12 education, expressed concern over whether other departments would get additional resources and staffing to take on significantly more portfolios of work if current Education Department programs were transferred to them.

Sen. Mike Rounds introduced a bill last week that seeks to abolish the department and transfer existing programs to other federal agencies.

In a statement, the South Dakota Republican said “the federal Department of Education has never educated a single student, and it’s long past time to end this bureaucratic Department that causes more harm than good.”

The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 proposed a detailed plan on how the department could be dismantled through the reorganization of existing programs to other agencies and the elimination of the programs the project deems “ineffective or duplicative.”

Though Trump has repeatedly disavowed the conservative blueprint, some former members of his administration helped write it.

The agenda also calls for restoring state and local control over education funding, and notes that “as Washington begins to downsize its intervention in education, existing funding should be sent to states as grants over which they have full control, enabling states to put federal funding toward any lawful education purpose under state law.”

Title I, one of the major funding programs the department administers, provides billions of dollars to school districts with high percentages of students who come from low-income families.

Black pointed to an entire “regulatory regime” that’s built around these funds.

“That regime can’t just disappear unless Title I money also disappears, which could happen, but if you think about Title I money — our rural states, our red states — depend on that money just as much, if not more, than the other states,” he said. “The idea that we would take that money away from those schools — I don’t think there’s any actual political appetite for that.”

‘Inherent logical inconsistencies’

Trump recently tapped Linda McMahon — a co-chair of his transition team, Small Business Administration head during his first term and former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO — as his nominee for Education secretary.

If confirmed, she will play a crucial role in carrying out his education plans, which include promoting universal school choice and parental rights, moving education “back to the states” and ending “wokeness” in education.

Trump is threatening to cut federal funding for schools that teach “critical race theory,” “gender ideology” or “other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children,” according to his plan.

On the flip side, he wants to boost funding for states and school districts that adhere to certain policy directives.

That list includes districts that: adopt a “Parental Bill of Rights that includes complete curriculum transparency, and a form of universal school choice;” get rid of “teacher tenure” for grades K-12 and adopt “merit pay;” have parents hold the direct elections of school principals; and drastically reduce the number of school administrators.

But basing funding decisions on district-level policy choices would require the kind of federal involvement in education that Trump is pushing against.

Perera described seeing “inherent logical inconsistencies” in Trump’s education plan.

While he is talking about dismantling the department and sending education “back to the states,” he’s “also talking about leveraging the powers of the department to punish school districts for ‘political indoctrination,’” she said.

“He can’t do that if you are unwinding the federal role in K-12 schools,” she said.

Last updated 11:23 a.m., Nov. 25, 2024

NC Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. NC Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Rob Schofield for questions: info@ncnewsline.com. Follow NC Newsline on Facebook and X.

WASHINGTON — Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina led a charge Monday to try to ban transgender women from using women’s restrooms in the U.S. Capitol and House office buildings, following the election of a transgender lawmaker.

The move, which the House Democratic leader characterized as attempting to “bully” another member, came as Democrat Sarah McBride of Delaware will soon be sworn in as the first openly transgender member of Congress. Republicans also have undertaken broader efforts to bar transgender people from using restrooms that align with their gender identity.

“Biological men do not belong in private women’s spaces,” Mace wrote in a post on X alongside the resolution she is pushing. “Period. Full stop. End of story.”

The resolution would prohibit members of Congress, officers and employees of the House from using “single-sex facilities” other than those corresponding to their “biological sex.”

It reads: “A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House may not use a single-sex facility (including a restroom, changing room, or locker room) in the Capitol or House Office Buildings, other than those corresponding to the biological sex of such individual.”

The House sergeant-at-arms would be tasked with enforcement, according to the resolution, so it appears it would apply only to bathrooms on the House side of the Capitol and not the Senate.

In a post on X Monday appearing to respond to Mace’s push, McBride said “every day Americans go to work with people who have life journeys different than their own and engage with them respectfully, I hope members of Congress can muster that same kindness.”

“This is a blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing,” McBride added.

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said Mace’s resolution “doesn’t go far enough” and “we need something more binding” while speaking to reporters Tuesday.

The Georgia Republican, who referred to McBride as a “biological man,” said “America’s fed up with the trans ideology being shoved into our face.”

Greene said she asked U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson at the House GOP conference meeting Tuesday “what the men in our leadership are going to do about this, because this has to be stopped.”

According to Greene, the Louisiana Republican committed to her that McBride “will not be using our restrooms.”

However, at a Tuesday press conference following that GOP meeting, Johnson would not specify how he would respond to Mace’s resolution.

“This is an issue that Congress has never had to address before,” Johnson said, while also noting that “it’s a command that we treat all persons with dignity and respect.”

“We’ll provide appropriate accommodation for every member of Congress,” he added.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries questioned House Republicans’ priorities Tuesday regarding Mace’s effort.

“This is your priority — that you want to bully a member of Congress as opposed to welcoming her to join this body so that all of us can work together to get things done and deliver real results for the American people?” said the New York Democrat at a Tuesday news conference.

Last updated 11:38 a.m., Nov. 19, 2024

Arizona Mirror is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arizona Mirror maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jim Small for questions: info@azmirror.com. Follow Arizona Mirror on Facebook and X.

WASHINGTON — Calling the 2024 presidential campaign unprecedented might be an understatement.

A series of shocking events have rocked this presidential race as Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump sprint to the finish line in the hopes of securing the nation’s highest post.

Less than four months ago, Harris wasn’t even in the running.

And Trump, whose bid to return to the White House after a felony conviction in New York was already historic, survived two apparent assassination attempts.

The Democratic and Republican presidential candidates are closing out a neck-and-neck contest that could be decided by just a handful of voters in seven swing states.

On Election Day in the United States, here’s a glimpse into the highs — and lows — of the historic 2024 presidential campaign:

A Trump-Biden rematch

Trump and President Joe Biden, the then-Democratic presidential candidate, drew several challengers while vying for their respective parties’ nominations.

Trump certainly had a more competitive pool of primary challengers.

With the former president facing four separate prosecutions and the memory of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol fresh in voters’ minds, a field including former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson sought the Republican nomination.

Biden’s most serious challenger appeared at the primaries’ outset to be U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, who was little known outside his Minnesota district. But the incumbent ultimately lost more votes to Democrats who chose “Uncommitted” rather than support Biden over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war.

After sweeping Super Tuesday victories in March, both Trump and Biden secured the number of delegates necessary to clinch their parties’ nominations.

Third-party hopefuls have also sought to make their mark during the 2024 presidential campaign, perhaps most notably Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — an environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist.

Kennedy suspended his independent presidential campaign in August and endorsed Trump.

Meanwhile, independent presidential candidate Cornel West and the Green Party nominee Jill Stein are both vying for the White House under third-party bids.

And amid the ongoing war in Gaza, pro-Palestinian organizers have put pressure on both the Biden administration and Harris, as she vies for the Oval Office, through the Uncommitted National Movement.

The movement has seen a wide swath of organizers who have protested Biden’s policies regarding the Israel-Hamas war and called for an arms embargo and ceasefire.

Biden bows out, Harris steps up

Following primaries in both parties, Biden and Trump were set for a rematch of the 2020 race and scheduled a general election debate for late June.

Biden’s disastrous performance, in which he spoke softly and appeared to lose his train of thought at times, prompted an outcry from Democratic lawmakers, who urged him to drop his White House bid.

Less than a month later while fighting a COVID-19 infection at home, Biden bowed out of the race and passed the torch to Harris.

The veep then embarked on an unprecedented and expedited presidential campaign. If elected, she would become the first woman president, the first president of South Asian descent and the second Black president.

The summer months also saw the formal nominations of Trump and Harris’ respective running mates — Ohio GOP Sen. J.D. Vance and Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz — as both parties revved up their supporters at their national conventions.

Assassination attempts against Trump

Trump survived an assassination attempt in July during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where officials say a would-be assassin killed one rallygoer, injured two others and shot the former president’s ear.

The attack prompted a slew of federal probes and a bipartisan congressional task force to investigate.

U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, whose agency faced a deluge of scrutiny following the attack, resigned just days later.

In September, authorities responded to a second apparent assassination attempt against Trump while he was golfing at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, prompting even more questions regarding the former president’s safety and security.

Trump’s legal battles take center stage in campaign

Against the backdrop of his presidential bid, Trump has been mired in several legal battles and had to balance court appearances with his campaign schedule.

Trump was found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in May in a New York court. He is the first former U.S. president to be convicted of felony crimes.

He’s also been charged in a federal election interference case and a Georgia election interference case.

A federal classified documents case against him has been tossed out, at least for now.

His federal election interference case was put on pause for several months earlier this year while his claim of presidential immunity played out in the courts.

That argument made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which found that presidents are granted full immunity from criminal charges for any official “core constitutional” acts, though they have no immunity for any unofficial acts.

A White House win for Trump could greatly influence how the rest of his legal battles play out in the courts — and whether they continue at all.

Final stretch of 2024 presidential campaign

Harris and Trump sparred in a presidential debate in September, trading barbs while touting their own policy proposals.

As polling has repeatedly depicted Trump and Harris in a super-tight race in which neither has a measurable advantage, the two have spent the majority of their campaigns in the swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The Trump campaign received backlash for comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s racist and vulgar remarks during a late October rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City, including calling Puerto Rico “a floating island of garbage.”

And in what her campaign dubbed her “closing argument,” Harris called on voters last week to reject Trump’s “chaos and division.” She spoke to more than 75,000 spectators, according to campaign estimates.

She delivered her speech at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. — the site where Trump held a rally on Jan. 6, 2021, before his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol.

As the country reaches the end of an exhausting and winding presidential campaign, voters will soon determine whether Harris or Trump will be the next leader of the free world.

Last updated 6:30 a.m., Nov. 5, 2024

New Jersey Monitor is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. New Jersey Monitor maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Terrence T. McDonald for questions: info@newjerseymonitor.com. Follow New Jersey Monitor on Facebook and X.

WASHINGTON —As the United States continues to see election-related violence and lawsuits challenging voters’ eligibility, a democracy watchdog group is aiming to make sure voters are protected when casting their ballots.

A week ahead of the presidential election, in which Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are vying for the Oval Office, the nonpartisan group Common Cause is gathering volunteers across the country to assist Americans in voting without obstruction.

“Right now, we’re seeing litigation ranging from challenging voters’ eligibility, to challenging their completed ballots, challenging long-standing rules around elections, trying to purge voter rolls,” said Sylvia Albert, democracy and representation policy counsel for Common Cause, during a Tuesday media briefing.

“I think most important to know is that this close to an election, individuals cannot rewrite laws by whim or remove people from the voter rolls — there is clear law to protect voters from these kinds of attacks,” she added.

Albert said the organization is keeping an eye on all of the cases where voters’ eligibility or their completed ballots are being challenged and is “working with partners to ensure that somebody is always at the table to protect voters.”

“But, really, the message that we want to get across is that every eligible American should have the freedom to vote and to have their voice heard, and voters should rest assured that they should cast their ballot and know that it will be counted,” she said.

Common Cause state leaders in Florida, as well as in the swing states of North Carolina, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, also shared some election protection efforts and what they are witnessing in terms of early voter turnout.

Virginia Kase Solomón, president and CEO of Common Cause, cited thousands of election protection volunteers who have signed up and said more are joining daily. The organization co-leads the Election Protection coalition.

“Our coalition is operating field programs in 42 states for the 2024 election,” she said, adding that “our election protection hotlines are open, and they are already assisting voters.” That number is 866-OUR-VOTE.

More than 51.3 million early votes were documented as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the University of Florida Election Lab’s early voting tracker.

Meanwhile, as fears of election-related violence in the U.S. persist, two ballot drop boxes were set ablaze this week in Vancouver, Washington, and Portland, Oregon — destroying hundreds of ballots — and authorities believe the incidents are likely connected.

Suzanne Almeida, director of state operations for Common Cause, said “we have not seen a trend coming out of the fires that we saw earlier … that there are ongoing attacks on ballot drop boxes.”

Almeida noted that “vote by mail is still incredibly secure” and “ballot drop boxes are still an incredibly valid way to return your ballot.”

“In fact, at this point in the election cycle, I would not recommend putting your ballot in the mail,” she said, urging people to instead use a ballot drop box or other ballot return system.

Almeida also recommends that any voter in Washington or Oregon who believes their ballot was affected by the fires should track their ballot online at the websites for their local and state elections officials.

“You should reach out to those elections officials and get a reissued ballot,” Almeida said. “We are in no way too late to get those ballots … voted and counted.”

Minnesota Reformer is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Minnesota Reformer maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor J. Patrick Coolican for questions: info@minnesotareformer.com. Follow Minnesota Reformer on Facebook and X.

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will take the stage on Tuesday in the only planned debate between the respective Democratic and GOP presidential candidates between now and November.

It’s the first presidential debate since President Joe Biden bowed out of the race following his own disastrous debate performance in late June against Trump. Biden, who faced mounting calls to resign, passed the torch to Harris back in July.

The vice president has embarked on an unprecedented and expedited campaign as she and Trump vie for the Oval Office. The election is just two months away.

Though the Harris and Trump campaigns clashed over debate procedures in recent weeks, both candidates have agreed to the finalized rules. ABC News, host of the debate, released the rules.

When and where is the debate?

The debate will be Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 9 p.m. Eastern time at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The debate will be 90 minutes long and include two commercial breaks, according to ABC.

The Keystone State — where both Harris and Trump have spent a lot of time campaigning — could determine the outcome of the presidential election. The battleground state has narrowly flip-flopped in recent elections, with Biden turning Pennsylvania blue in 2020 after Trump secured a red win in 2016.

How can I watch the debate?

The debate will air live on ABC News and will also be streaming on ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu.

ABC News’ David Muir and Linsey Davis will moderate the debate.

Harris and Trump will each have two minutes to answer questions and two minutes to give rebuttals. They will also be granted one additional minute to clarify or follow up on anything.

Will the mics be muted?

Microphones will be muted when it’s not a candidate’s turn to speak, just like the previous debate between Biden and Trump in June.

The candidates will not give opening statements. Trump won a coin flip to determine the order of closing statements and podium placement. Trump, who selected the statement order, will give the final closing statement.

Each closing statement will be two minutes long.

Harris and Trump are not allowed to bring any props or prewritten notes to the debate stage. They will each receive a pen, a pad of paper and a water bottle.

Will there be a live audience?

There will be no live audience at the National Constitution Center, as was the case in the last presidential debate.

Harris and Trump are not permitted to interact with their campaign staff during the two commercial breaks.

Trump slams ABC ahead of debate

Trump went on the attack over the details of the debate, telling Fox News’ Sean Hannity during an interview Wednesday in Pennsylvania that “ABC is the worst network in terms of fairness” and “the most dishonest network, the meanest, the nastiest.”

He accused the network of releasing poor polls on purpose ahead of a previous election to drive down voter turnout.

Trump also claimed, without evidence, that Harris would get the questions in advance of the debate. ABC’s debate rules state that no candidates or campaigns will receive any topics or questions ahead of the event.

Meanwhile, Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance will battle it out at the vice presidential debate hosted by CBS News on Oct. 1 in New York City.

Oregon Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Lynne Terry for questions: info@oregoncapitalchronicle.com. Follow Oregon Capital Chronicle on Facebook and X.