Foxx: Driving a Stake Into the Status Quo’s Heart

By Congresswoman Virginia Foxx

Purveyors of the status quo in Washington, and those who are scattered across every state throughout the country, are watching in real-time as the bureaucratic goliaths they faithfully champion take a one-two punch of accountability. This root-and-branch overhaul by President Trump and his administration is exactly the prescription the nation needs at this moment. It’s a proper course correction from the caustic, unfettered bureaucracy that was allowed to grow by leaps and bounds over the last four years. I, for one, welcome and embrace this wholesale reform – especially with regard to the Department of Education.

Many of us remember how the Department of Education was conceived, but for those who may be unfamiliar, a quick history lesson is in order. The Department was an outright bribe by President Jimmy Carter to the teachers' unions in exchange for their votes. Remember those purveyors of the status quo I mentioned? They’ll argue that this was a brilliant and necessary outcome, and one that has gone on to benefit students everywhere. Absolutely not. The Department has proven itself time and again to be nothing more than a burn pit for taxpayer dollars that has gone unchecked since 1979.

Over $3 trillion. That’s how much the Department has spent in the last 46 years with no progress whatsoever to show for it – the math makes no sense and is utterly mindboggling. In that period, per-pupil spending has increased by more than 245%, and yet, there has been no significant improvement in overall student achievement. Today, the state of education in America is dismal, to say the least, and the numbers paint a rather damning caricature of the Department’s complete and utter failure. Per the White House:

Math and reading scores for 13-year-olds are at the lowest level in decades.
Six-in-ten fourth graders and nearly three-quarters of eighth graders are not proficient in math.
Seven-in-ten fourth and eighth graders are not proficient in reading, while 40% of fourth grade students don’t even meet basic reading levels.
Standardized test scores have remained flat for decades.

With a nonexistent return on investment, student achievement cratering, and the current landscape of education in America being as desolate as it is, the sensible solution is to completely reexamine the way education is handled in our country. Within the Constitution, “education” is not listed as an enumerated power of the federal government – scour this sacred document and you will not find that word listed one single time. Education must be returned to states and localities where it belongs. Thanks to President Trump and Education Secretary McMahon, that path has now been charted. It’s important to note, as Secretary McMahon recently laid out, that while this right-sizing of the Department of Education is underway, outward-facing services that have received appropriated funding are not going to be affected – there will be no defunding of these services.

Trump Just Neutered the Department of Education, but That Doesn't Mean It's Going Away

While this administration undertakes its own work in dismantling the Department, our Republican majorities in the People’s House and the United States Senate stand at the ready to do our part. We’ll work to ensure that this rightful return of decision-making and authority back to the states is done in the right way. This is a monumental undertaking, and one that is being done for the right reasons – solely with the academic success of students at the forefront of the conversation. Shuttering the Department of Education once and for all will drive a stake through the heart of the status quo.

It’s a necessary and worthwhile endeavor, and one that will usher in a new era of opportunity for the young men and women who will go on to lead this nation and blaze new trails that will unlock even further prosperity for generations to come.

U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx represents North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District and is the Chairwoman of the House Committee on Rules.

Editor's Note: President Trump is fighting to dismantle the Department of Education and ensure America's kids get the education they deserve.

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