Democrats Defend Education Department Amid Dismantling Efforts

House Democrats host forum to rebuke administration's attempts to shift core functions of the Department of Education to other agencies.

Feb. 12, 2026 at 10:55am

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U.S. House Democrats on Wednesday rebuked ongoing efforts from the Trump administration to dismantle the Department of Education, including moves to shift some of its core functions to other agencies. Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, the top Democrat on the House Committee on Education and Workforce, hosted a forum with education advocates and legal experts who pushed back against the administration's attempts to axe the agency.

Why it matters

The lawmakers and witnesses expressed alarm over the administration's six interagency agreements that transfer several of the Education Department's responsibilities to other Cabinet-level agencies, which they argue is illegal. They also criticized the administration's mass layoffs and downsizing efforts at the department, as well as concerns about the impact on the Office for Civil Rights' ability to investigate discrimination complaints.

The details

The advocacy group Democracy Forward is leading a legal challenge against the administration's attempts to gut the Education Department. They argue that Congress creates and decides which agencies exist, and the executive branch's obligation is to carry out those laws faithfully. The administration's efforts include transferring core functions to other agencies through 'illegal' interagency agreements, as well as mass layoffs and downsizing initiated in 2025.

  • In March 2025, the administration initiated mass layoffs and a plan to dramatically downsize the Education Department.
  • In July 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily greenlit the administration's efforts to wind down the department.
  • In November 2025, the administration announced six interagency agreements to transfer several of the Education Department's responsibilities to four other Cabinet-level agencies.

The players

Rep. Bobby Scott

A Democratic representative from Virginia and the top Democrat on the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Ashley Harrington

Senior policy counsel at the Legal Defense Fund, who previously served as a senior adviser at the Education Department.

Rachel Homer

Director of Democracy 2025 and senior attorney at Democracy Forward, the legal advocacy group leading the ongoing case challenging the department's dismantling efforts in federal court.

Rep. Suzanne Bonamici

A Democratic representative from Oregon and the ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education.

Ray Li

A policy counsel at the Legal Defense Fund, who previously served as an attorney for the Office for Civil Rights at the Education Department.

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What they’re saying

“over and over again, the administration has circumvented the law to hamstring the future of public education without the consent of Congress or the American people.”

— Rep. Bobby Scott

“These transfers through the IAAs, they're illegal. That's not what Congress has set up — that's not how Congress has instructed the agencies to function.”

— Rachel Homer, Director of Democracy 2025 and senior attorney at Democracy Forward

“I know I don't just speak for myself when I say I can't believe we're here having to actually defend the existence of the Department of Education.”

— Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, Ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education

“We're extremely concerned of what this means for OCR to actually uphold its statutorily defined duty of protecting the civil rights of students in schools, including the rights of Black students, other students of color, girls, women, students with disabilities and members that identify with the LGBTQI+ communities.”

— Ray Li, Policy counsel at the Legal Defense Fund

What’s next

The legal challenge against the administration's attempts to dismantle the Education Department is ongoing in federal court.

The takeaway

The Democratic lawmakers and legal experts argue that the administration's efforts to dismantle the Education Department, including through 'illegal' interagency agreements and mass layoffs, undermine the agency's critical role in protecting civil rights and ensuring educational opportunities for all students.