Iowa put itself forward as a test case this month, asking the Education Department to consolidate its federal aid into a single grant — called a “block grant” — with few spending requirements. The idea has failed to gain support in Congress in the past, but Iowa is suggesting the Trump administration has the power to act alone.
Other Republican leaders are eager to follow. Oklahoma’s education office said it’s “actively investigating a comprehensive block grant solution.” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wrote an opinion piece last week pushing for block grants. Conservatives are calling it the natural next step in Trump’s promise to shut down the Education Department and give more power to states.
“All states would like more flexibility and freedom,” said Jim Blew, a former Education Department official from Trump's first term who has called for consolidating education aid. “This would be a full block grant, no strings attached.”
As many as a dozen other GOP-led states are planning to submit their own requests, said Blew, who now co-leads the Defense of Freedom Institute for Policy Studies.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon has denounced “federal red tape” and said states should be empowered to take charge. When she was asked about block grants Sunday on CNN's “State of the Union,” she noted that model has been suggested. But she indicated she did not support lumping together aid for students with disabilities and low-income students.
