Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) introduced a bill that abolishes the Department of Education.
The bill comes as the incoming Trump administration has declared they will send education to the states. “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,” President-elect Donald Trump said during his campaign.
“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. “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.”
The bill, called “Returning Education to Our States Act,” abolishes the Education Department 180 days after its enactment. Some departments currently under the department will be transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services, Interior, Labor, Treastury and State.
Some of the programs to be redirected include those involving Native Americans, disabilities, careers, and loans.
The bill follows Trump tapping Linda McMahon to serve as the Secretary 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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
