Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduced a bill on Friday that would implement the repeatedly expressed desire of President Donald Trump to shut down the United States Department of Education.
Shutting down the Department of Education and moving education decisions out of the control of the US government were actions Trump proposed on multiple occasions through his presidential campaign. Then, on November 19 after winning the presidential election, Trump concluded his written statement announcing his nomination of Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Department of Education with his statement: “We will send Education BACK TO THE STATES, and Linda will spearhead that effort.”
Later, in a Washington, DC rally the day before his presidential inauguration, Trump declared in regarding his nomination of McMahon:
I said, Linda, I’m making you the Secretary of Education. But if you do a great job, you will put yourself out of a job because you’re going to be sending it back to the states.
Massie introduced his Department of Education ending bill (HR 899) on Friday. The short, to the point bill reads in full:
SECTION 1: TERMINATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
The Department of Education shall terminate on December 31, 2026.
Upon introduction, HR 899 had 27 original cosponsors — all Republicans. Expect more cosponsors to keep signing on over the coming weeks. Massie’s bill is the simple and straightforward way to accomplish the goal Trump has been promoting.
Massie is an Advisory Board member for the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity.
