Kentucky GOP Rep. Thomas Massie is claiming a moral victory after a strong majority of his fellow House Republicans voted to eradicate the U.S. Department of Education.
As The Free Press reported last week Massie introduced a one-paragraph bill calling for the Education Department to be dissolved by the end of 2023.
Massie publicly thanked Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida for championing his bill. Gaetz had argued for the bill as early as last fall, when he maintained there is no role in education for the federal government.
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Ultimately, it failed. According to the House clerk’s office, Democrats and 60 Republicans voted against Massie’s plan.
Yet 161 Republicans, nearly three times as many as voted against Massie, supported the idea.
All but two of Florida’s Republican delegation backed Massie, who had hoped the third time was the charm for his bill, which also came up in 2017 and 2021.
Only Reps. Maria Salazar and Carlos Gimenez, both of Miami, joined the Democrats.
On Twitter on Friday, Massie said of his bill, “Removing federal red tape and unfunded mandates would empower parents, teachers, states, and school boards.”
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After it failed, he added, “Although this measure did not pass, I consider it a success that a majority of the majority (161 Republicans) recognized our children are best served when schools have more local control. Students win when parents can know and influence what’s being taught.”
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