The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to propose a merger of the Education and Labor departments, according to several media reports.
The plan, which could be announced as early as Thursday, would be part of a broad overhaul of the federal government with the goal of merging duplicative programs and eliminating others the administration considers unnecessary.
The proposal, first reported by Education Week, would allow the administration to concentrate vocational training programs in one place.
The plan was developed in response to a directive Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney issued to federal agency leaders more than a year ago.
The new combined agency would require congressional approval. Republican lawmakers have long desired to eliminate the Education Department since its creation in 1980 by president Jimmy Carter. Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos have also expressed similar sentiments.
A House bill in 1995 proposing the merger of agencies to place K-12 schools and vocational training programs together failed to win approval.
