Congressman Thomas Massie | Official U.S. House headshot
Congressman Thomas Massie | Official U.S. House headshot
Representative Thomas Massie has reintroduced H.R. 899, a bill aiming to dismantle the federal Department of Education. The proposed legislation is succinct, consisting of a single sentence: “The Department of Education shall terminate on December 31, 2026.”
Rep. Massie expressed his reasoning behind the bill by stating, "Unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. should not be in charge of our children’s intellectual and moral development." He further emphasized that local communities and states are better equipped to tailor educational curricula to meet their students' needs and asserted that schools should be held accountable while parents retain the right to choose suitable educational opportunities for their children.
The federal Department of Education was established in 1980. On September 24, 1981, President Ronald Reagan addressed the nation with proposals to dismantle both the Energy and Education Departments as part of his economic recovery program. He remarked, “There's only one way to shrink the size and cost of big government, and that is by eliminating agencies that are not needed.” Reagan believed education should primarily fall under local jurisdictions rather than federal oversight.
H.R. 899 has garnered support from several original co-sponsors including Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-OK), among others.
Further details about the legislation can be accessed via a provided link.
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