U.S. Representatives Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) and Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) are among a group of Republicans who are original cosponsors of a bill that would terminate the U.S. Department of Education.
As written, the one-page, one-sentence bill would “terminate” the Department of Education on December 31, 2026.
The bill, filed as H.R.899, was introduced by Kentucky U.S. Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY-04) last week.
I just reintroduced H.R. 899, a one sentence bill to TERMINATE the federal department of education and return power back to teachers and parents.
This is it, the entire bill: pic.twitter.com/2dLYVE9Iwn
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) January 31, 2025
“Unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. should not be in charge of our children’s intellectual and moral development,” Massie said in a statement.
“States and local communities are best positioned to shape curricula that meet the needs of their students. Schools should be accountable. Parents have the right to choose the most appropriate educational opportunity for their children, including home school, public school, or private school,” Massie added.
Ogles and Burchett were among 27 House Republicans who signed onto Massie’s bill as original cosponsors.
Burchett, who was appointed to serve on the U.S. House Oversight Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, has been critical of the Department of Education, recently said on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, “We’ve got a Department of Education that, I guarantee you, not one bureaucrat in Washington, D.C. in that multi-billion dollar operation who has educated a kid or taught them how to read, write, or do arithmetic in Davidson County, Tennessee.”
Ogles has also been critical of the Department of Education, with remarks dating back to 2022 on WKRN when he said the Department has “failed” in its mandate to teach children, further saying that the states should be in charge of education instead of the federal government.
According to data provided by the Treasury Department, the U.S. government has spent over $43 billion to fund the Department of Education so far in Fiscal Year 2025.
The Department of Education began operating in 1980 during the Carter administration after Congress passed the Department of Education Organization Act in 1979.
President Donald Trump promised on the campaign trail that his administration would work “very early on” to dismantle the Department of Education and “send all education and education work and needs back to the states.”
Trump has since worked to deliver on his promise of sending education back to the states by recently signing an executive order titled “Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunity for Families” to advance school choice.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Background Photo “Department of Education Building” by ajay_suresh. CC BY 2.0.
