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Democrat members of Congress tried to enter the U.S. Department of Education's headquarters in Washington, DC, on February 7 and failed to do so after a person, not in a uniform, came outside and told them they were not allowed to enter the building.
18 Democratic members of the House went to the headquarters to request a meeting with the Acting Education Secretary, Denise Carter, to discuss the rumored dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education and supposed budget cuts to programs by the Trump administration.
Representatives Maxwell Alejandro Frost and Maxine Waters were among the Democratic members who tried to enter the headquarters. Frost took to X and criticized the Trump administration for not allowing them to enter. He said Elon Musk and "his goons" are allowed to enter, but the representatives of the people aren't. He said,
"A year ago, I’d be able to walk into this building and not be locked out. This is what they’re doing. Elon is allowed in, but not you, not your elected representatives, not parents, not students. Elon can go in; his goons can go in, but not the representatives of the people."
Why are Democrats suspecting Trump will abolish the Department of Education?
According to TIME, Donald Trump plans to abolish the Department of Education as part of his Project 2025 initiative to reshape the federal government. As per the media outlet, the President himself can't abolish the Department of Education as it was created by Congress which has the sole power to abolish it.
Jonathan E. Collins, a professor of political science and education at Teachers College, Columbia University, told TIME,
"You can't just drop a bomb on the Department of Education and turn it into rubble. Legally, it has to start with Congress, not the President."
According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump can sign an Executive Order weakening the Department of Education by cutting the workforce and cutting federal funding for special programs.
On January 31, Republican Representative Thomas Massie introduced a bill to abolish the Education Department by the end of 2026. In a press release, he supported Trump's vision and claimed that states and local communities can create better curricula for students. Massie said,
"Unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., should not be in charge of our children’s intellectual and moral development. States and local communities are best positioned to shape curricula that meet the needs of their students."
According to the Times of India, a spokesperson spoke up about the ruckus outside the U.S. Department of Education. They said the Democratic members of Congress who tried to enter the headquarters on February 7 did not make any scheduled appointments to meet the Acting Education Secretary, Denise Carter. They said,
"The protest was organized by members of Congress who were exercising their First Amendment rights, which they are at liberty to do. They did not have any scheduled appointments, and the protest has since ended."
Although Donald Trump can't abolish the Department of Education altogether, time will tell what he plans to do.
