President-elect Donald Trump ran for office a third time — and won — on promises to once again shake up Washington, D.C., which included pledges to reduce the size and imprint of the federal bureaucracy dramatically. In that vein, he’s bringing in billionaire Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to head up the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, to examine all departments and agencies and find as many ways to cut them as possible.
Congressional Republicans will assist that effort, apparently. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) on Thursday introduced a measure to abolish the Department of Education, aligning with Trump’s pledge to return control of education to the states. During his presidential campaign, Trump said, “One thing I’ll be doing very early in the administration is closing up the Department of Education in Washington, D.C., and sending all education and education work it needs back to the states.” Some experts questioned Trump’s ability to abolish the Department of Education, pointing out that such a move would require congressional approval. However, with an incoming Republican trifecta in Washington, D.C., and Rounds’ bill on the table, he may have the support needed to make it happen.
“The federal Department of Education has never educated a single student, and it’s long past time to end this bureaucratic Department that causes more harm than good,” Rounds said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “We all know local control is best when it comes to education. Everyone raised in South Dakota can think of a teacher who played a big part in their educational journey. Local school boards and state Departments of Education know best what their students need, not unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.
“For years, I’ve worked toward removing the federal Department of Education. I’m pleased that President-elect Trump shares this vision, and I’m excited to work with him and Republican majorities in the Senate and House to make this a reality. This legislation is a roadmap to eliminating the federal Department of Education by practically rehoming these federal programs in the departments where they belong, which will be critical as we move into next year,” he continued.
Under Rounds’ plan, various education programs would be reassigned to other federal agencies. Native American education programs would shift to the Department of the Interior, while loan and grant programs would move to the Department of the Treasury. Disability programs would fall under the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor would manage career programs, and the Fulbright-Hays Program, which supports research and training abroad, would become the responsibility of the State Department, Fox reported.
The introduction of the new bill follows President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement earlier this week that he plans to nominate Linda McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), to lead the Department of Education. “It is my great honor to announce that Linda McMahon, former Administrator of the Small Business Administration, will be the United States Secretary of Education,” he said in a statement on the selection.
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.