Thomas Massie, Representative for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, has re-introduced a bill aimed at eliminating the Department of Education. The bill is only one sentence long, reading “The Department of Education shall terminate on December 31st, 2026.”
In 2023, Massie said the Department of Education is an unconstitutional entity.
“Congress lacks the constitutional authority to create what amounts to a National School board of unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats,” said Massie.
What this closure means for federal student aid, including federal loan forgiveness and the FAFSA, remains unclear. According to the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, roughly 18 percent of Kentuckians over the age of 18 have outstanding student loans.
Representative Massie added funds allocated to the department would be better spent elsewhere.
“Imagine if we could hire 4,000 more teachers in this country using that money and pay them each $100,000. Pay them what Bureaucrats get in Washington, DC. How many more kids would get a better education? I suspect a lot more kids would get a better education,” said Massie.
Kentucky’s Commissioner of Education, Robbie Fletcher, issued a statement in response to the proposed bill, emphasizing the need to understand it’s potential impact on federal funding.
Fletcher said Kentucky receives a substantial amount of funding to support academic programs in schools with high percentages of low-income students. He also voiced concerns about the security of funding dedicated towards providing students with free or reduced cost meals.