Three Republican senators are introducing a bill that would terminate the Department of Education, echoing similar legislation in the House and an executive order issued last week by President Donald Trump.
The legislation, co-sponsored by Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Mike Lee of Utah, and Bernie Moreno of Ohio, calls for the department to be shuttered by Dec. 31, 2026, similar to the House bill introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., in January.
“For too long, Washington bureaucrats have imposed a uniform approach to education, stifling innovation and limiting parental choice,” Paul said in a news release. “It’s time to empower families and local leaders to make the best decisions for their students, rather than relying on out-of-touch federal regulators.”
Although Trump’s executive order stated that “closing the Department of Education would provide children and their families the opportunity to escape a system that is failing them,” only Congress, which created the agency in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter, can terminate it.
Trump has directed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to dismantle the department and “put yourself out of a job,” with her stated goal of sending “education back to the states and empower all parents to choose an excellent education for their children.”
“In the 45 years since the Department of Education was established, the quality of American public schooling has declined, the cost of college has skyrocketed, and parents and students have come second to administrators and unions,” Lee said in the release. “Congress should end this unconstitutional federal intrusion into American education and usher in a renaissance of school choice, parental rights, and academic achievement.”
Paul has long been an advocate of school choice, preferring vouchers and charter schools because educational decisions should be made locally rather than by federal agencies. The news release stated that the legislation “reflects his commitment to decentralization and individual freedom, aiming for a high-quality education free from federal interference.”
“There is no constitutional role for the federal government in education, and returning power to the states will empower parents, cut red tape, and give our students the opportunity to receive the best possible education,” Moreno said in the release. “After over four decades of Republicans promising to abolish the Department of Education, President Trump and Senate Republicans are finally delivering. This was a key part of what I campaigned on, and I’m proud to join Senator Paul and my colleagues on this long-overdue legislation.”
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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