Whoops Steve King's 'Abolish The Education Department' Bill May Be DOA
While we're distracted by Trump's insanity, Congressman Steve "thighs the size of cantaloupes" King of Iowa has introduced HR 610:
This bill repeals the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and limits the authority of the Department of Education (ED) such that ED is authorized only to award block grants to qualified states.The bill establishes an education voucher program, through which each state shall distribute block grant funds among local educational agencies (LEAs) based on the number of eligible children within each LEA's geographical area. From these amounts, each LEA shall: (1) distribute a portion of funds to parents who elect to enroll their child in a private school or to home-school their child, and (2) do so in a manner that ensures that such payments will be used for appropriate educational expenses.
And while I still want you to be hair-on-fire mad about this bill, it's likely dead in the water because whoops right-wing homeschool advocates hate it too.
Turns out The Home School Legal Defense Association, which claims 84,000 members and like a lot of right-wing organizations outweighs its membership numbers on the Republican Hill, has come out strongly against King's bill because it "would be a slippery slope toward more federal involvement and control in homeschooling."
And as if this bill didn't have that going for it, Breitbart (no link because...no) noticed this too. As I said, dead in the water.
Like healthcare, messing with education can make all sorts of people mad, and if making only one set of people (teachers unions and public education advocates) mad is your goal, you are likely to fail.
I don't expect them to stop trying and neither should you. Vigilance is as important as resistance.
PS this lovely bill also removes nutrition requirements from the school lunch program. Special!
Want to unite liberals, conservatives, nutritionists () vs school vouchers? Rep Steve King has a valentine for you congress.gov/bill/115th-con…
Whoops Steve King's 'Abolish The Education Department' Bill May Be DOA | Crooks and Liars:
The Trump/DeVos Privatization Agenda Begins to Take Shape - Network For Public Education - https://wp.me/s3bR9v-8851
Rep. Steve King Introduces Bill To Begin De-funding of Public Education - http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/2/23/1636961/-Rep-Steve-King-Introduces-Bill-To-Begin-De-funding-of-Public-Education
Here's What You Should Know About That Voucher Bill From Rep. Steve King - Politics K-12 - Education Week - http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2017/03/voucher_bill_steve_king_few_things_to_know.html
U.S. Rep. Steve King is a racist. But he keeps getting re-elected | Arkansas Blog - http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2017/03/14/us-rep-steve-king-is-a-racist-but-he-keeps-getting-re-elected
H.R.610 - 115th Congress (2017-2018): To distribute Federal funds for elementary and secondary education in the form of vouchers for eligible students and to repeal a certain rule relating to nutrition standards in schools. | Congress.gov | Library of Congress - https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/610
Steve King, Hurling Insults at Immigrants, Is Rebuked by His Own Party - The New York Times - https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/13/us/politics/steve-king-babies-civilization.html