House Republican Introduces Bill to End Dept. of Education

A House Republican introduced a bill Tuesday that would erase the Department of Education from the federal government.

Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky filed the one-sentence bill the same day Betsy DeVos was confirmed by the Senate to lead the Cabinet department. The proposal calls for the agency to shut its doors on Dec. 31, 2018.

Seven other Republican members of Congress signed the bill as co-sponsors: Reps. Jason Chaffetz (Utah), Justin Amash (Michigan), Andy Biggs (Arizona), Matt Gaetz (Florida), Jody Hice (Georgia), Walter Jones (North Carolina), and Raúl Labrador (Idaho).

"Unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. should not be in charge of our children's intellectual and moral development," Massie said. "States and local communities are best positioned to shape curricula that meet the needs of their students."

Former President Ronald Reagan unsuccessfully tried to eliminate the Departments of Education and Energy during the 1980s.

"For years, I have advocated returning education policy to where it belongs — the state and local level," Jones said. "D.C. bureaucrats cannot begin to understand the needs of schools and its students on an individual basis. It is time that we get the feds out of the classroom, and terminate the Department of Education."

Democrats and even some Republicans were opposed to DeVos' nomination to serve as education secretary, but she was confirmed Tuesday after Vice President Mike Pence cast the deciding vote.

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