FIRST ON FOX: A House Republican is already making moves to get President Donald Trump’s executive order significantly curbing the Department of Education enshrined in federal law.
Rep. Michael Rulli, R-Ohio, who was at the White House on Thursday for Trump’s announcement, told Fox News Digital minutes after the event that he was working on the legislation.
“I want to thank President Trump for inviting me to the White House for the signing of this Executive Order. Government functions best when it is closer to the people it serves, which is why returning control of education to the states is such a critical step,” Rulli said.
The Ohio Republican said he “will soon introduce legislation to codify the President’s agenda into law, ensuring that these essential reforms to our children’s education cannot be undone by future administrations.”
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President Donald Trump holds an executive order on the Department of Education after signing it in the East Room of the White House in Washington on March 20, 2025 (Mandel Ngan)
Like Trump’s order, Rulli said his bill would allow for “funding for Pell Grants, Title I programs, and resources for children with disabilities and special needs” to continue under other federal departments.
“Having served on my local school board for eight years, I’ve seen firsthand how our schools serve as the backbone of our communities,” he said. “This Executive Order empowers states to better address the unique needs of their communities and amplifies the voices of local school leaders.”
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., previously said there was support among congressional Republicans for Trump and Education Secretary Linda McMahon cutting back the Department of Education.
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Rep. Michael Rulli said he is introducing the bill. (Getty Images)
“[T]his is a time for change. I think this will serve students, parents, teachers, administrators better to have that down at the local level. And Secretary McMahon is bringing that change about. This is a longtime coming. You will have a greater choice for parents and students. You will have a lot better outcomes, I think. This is something we all applaud,” Johnson said during an interview on “Fox & Friends” this week.
House Republican leaders will have multiple options on which route to take.
In addition to Rulli’s bill, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who’s long advocated for dismantling the department, re-introduced his own bill to abolish it altogether this year.
The bill text only said, “The Department of Education shall terminate on December 31, 2026.”
Rep. Thomas Massie has long advocated for eliminating the Department of Education. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The contours of Rulli’s bill are not immediately clear, but a spokesperson said it would closely mirror Trump’s own executive order that specifically calls for returning education back to the states.
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Even if it passed the House, however, such a bill would have an uphill climb in the Senate.
Senate Republicans would need at least seven Democrats to cross the aisle and vote to advance the bill to meet its 60-vote threshold – something virtually unlikely to happen, given the left’s near-uniform opposition to the push.
Nevertheless, Trump’s push to dismantle or eliminate the Department of Education will require an act of Congress to stay permanent and shield it from most likely legal challenges.
