US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon is planning to spend roughly $43,000 on new furniture for her office, even as she actively works to dismantle the Department of Education. The spending proposal comes despite claims from the Trump administration that its overhaul of the federal agency is designed to save taxpayers millions of dollars.
Relocation and Office Expenses
Non-public records reported by the New York Times show that McMahon’s office informed Congress that her existing furniture was worn out and could not be properly integrated, either aesthetically or configurationally, into the agency’s new location. An unnamed senior official stated that the planned purchases include a new desk, chairs, a conference table, and other items totaling $43,278.64.
In March, McMahon announced that the department would relocate its headquarters from the Lyndon B. Johnson building to a smaller site in downtown Washington, D.C. The facility previously housed the US Agency for International Development before that agency was shut down by the Trump administration. McMahon previously asserted that the relocation would save taxpayers $4.8 million annually.
Defending the furniture plan, Education Department Press Secretary Savannah Newhouse stated that the administration is saving taxpayers millions of dollars through education cuts, adding that federal offices require places to sit, write, and hold meetings.
Efforts to Dismantle the Agency
Despite outfitting her new office, McMahon’s overall objective is to reduce agency personnel, reassign its duties, and effectively shut down the department. President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing McMahon, a former World Wrestling Entertainment executive, to dismantle the agency shortly after taking office in 2025.
Because the Department of Education was created by Congress, it can only be formally dissolved through congressional action, which the Republican-controlled Congress has not yet pursued. However, the administration has taken independent measures to diminish the department’s authority. Staffing levels have been reduced by nearly half through workforce cuts, and agency responsibilities are being transferred to other federal bodies via interagency agreements.
As part of these transfers, special education services have been moved to the Department of Health and Human Services, while civil rights enforcement has been shifted to the Department of Justice. Trump and McMahon maintain that effectively closing the department will eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy and grant individual states greater control over education policies.
