Energy Department to Occupy Education Department’s Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Department of Energy is set to relocate to the Lyndon B. Johnson Building, the current headquarters of the U.S. Department of Education, as announced by the Trump administration. This move aligns with the administration’s ongoing strategy to reduce the presence of the Education Department, which it claims is “roughly 70% vacant.”
Education Secretary Linda McMahon remarked on the development, stating, “Thanks to the hard work of so many, we have made unprecedented progress in reducing the federal education footprint, and now we are pleased to give this building to an agency that will benefit far more from its space than the Department of Education.”
The Department of Energy, which presently occupies the James V. Forrestal Building, will benefit from this transition. The Trump administration describes the current building as “outdated,” projecting a taxpayer savings exceeding $350 million in deferred maintenance costs. For further details, visit the press release.
Meanwhile, the Education Department will move to a smaller facility located at 500 D Street SW, a block away, by August.
This relocation has drawn criticism from Democratic leaders. Representative Bobby Scott of Virginia, a key member of the House education committee, commented, “Leaving the Lyndon B. Johnson headquarters building does not cut bureaucracy — it rearranges it. This decision to close the Department’s physical building is not just a symbolic move — it reflects a broader effort to reduce the federal government’s role in ensuring people have equal access to a quality education.”
McMahon, through an email obtained by NPR, described the move as a “critical step in returning education to the states.” Under her leadership, the department’s workforce has been reduced by nearly half, now totaling 2,300 employees. Additionally, 10 agreements have been made to distribute the department’s responsibilities to other federal agencies.
A significant agreement involves transferring management of the federal student loan program to the Treasury Department. This decision highlights McMahon’s ongoing challenge, as the Education Department’s establishment by Congress in 1979 means only Congress can entirely dismantle it.
In response to inquiries about the Treasury transfer, a senior official acknowledged that the Treasury Department cannot fully assume all statutory student loan duties. The official noted that the Education Department would be scaled back as much as legally permissible, adding that McMahon recognizes “Congress is the only entity that can close the Department.”
The decision to vacate the Lyndon B. Johnson building carries significant symbolism. The building’s namesake, President Lyndon B. Johnson, played a pivotal role in establishing major federal education policies aimed at supporting students in poverty. For more on this legacy, explore the full story.
This article was originally written by www.npr.org
