Rep. Tom Massie (R-KY)
Libertarians praise House bill to end Dept. of Education by Carla Howell on February 9, 2017 in Press Releases
The Libertarian Party strongly supports U.S. House bill H.R. 899, which was filed today by Rep Tom Massie (R–KY), along with seven co-sponsors, to abolish the federal Department of Education.
“Libertarians are encouraged to see a bill that brings hope to the promise of actually, finally, abolishing the Department of Education,” said Nicholas Sarwark, chair of the Libertarian National Committee. “The DOE’s primary accomplishments have been to drive up federal taxes and debt, drive up local and state taxes, impose mounds of red tape on schools, and drive down the quality education in the United States. It has made schooling an infuriating and demoralizing experience for teachers, parents, and schoolchildren.”
In striking contrast to most of today’s federal and state laws, many of which are hundreds of pages long and rarely read by the lawmakers who vote on them, H.R. 899 consists of one simple sentence: “The Department of Education shall terminate on December 31, 2018.”
“Localizing education will dramatically improve our schools, allowing them to innovate and address the needs of individual students, and to prepare them for a fulfilling and successful future,” said Sarwark.
The Libertarian Party platform on education states:
Education is best provided by the free market, achieving greater quality, accountability and efficiency with more diversity of choice. Recognizing that the education of children is a parental responsibility, we would restore authority to parents to determine the education of their children, without interference from government. Parents should have control of and responsibility for all funds expended for their children’s education.
Federal regulations have real consequences for real people. Cause of Action Institute released a powerful four-minute documentary detailing the effects of “at-sea monitors” on local fishermen in New England. The federal government makes fishermen pay for these monitors, who do nothing but watch the crew fish and sort their catch. The cost? Seven-hundred dollars per day at sea, all of which is paid by the local fisherman. That burden is more than many fishermen can bear, and it’s forcing hundreds of family-owned boats out of business. David Goethel, for example, has been running his boat for decades. He’s a good fisherman and a good businessman, but federal regulations are about to force him and his family into unemployment.
What sounds reasonable to D.C. bureaucrats doesn’t make sense in the real world. That’s why regulation should be done as close to home as possible, where regulators have real knowledge of local situations and local businesspeople can voice their concerns.
An Article V Convention of States can bring this about. By proposing constitutional amendments that move the balance of power from D.C. to the states, a Convention of States can remove the federal regulatory burden on local businesses and restore our nation’s financial prosperity. Americans like David Goethel aren’t alone. There are thousands of businesspeople struggling under the weight of unreasonable federal regulations, and they can’t do anything about it. President Trump might remove a regulation here and there, but only a Convention of States can make the structural changes that restore the balance of power between the states and the people. Visit www.conventionofstates.com for more information.