Representative urges dismantling of U.S. Department of Education in urging resolution, drawing questions from colleagues

Representative Wade presented House Resolution 17 89, an urging resolution that calls for dismantling the U.S. Department of Education and returning certain federal functions to state control.

Wade told the committee the resolution is intended to "remove a layer of bureaucracy that delays what I believe is serving our children in our state" and said it "will not cut funding to impact students." He described specific transfers of functions in the resolution—for example, moving student loan administration to the Department of the Treasury and some child nutrition programs to the Department of Agriculture—to preserve service while shifting authority to states.

Other members raised immediate questions about whether those services would fall back on Georgia and whether the state is well positioned to take on additional responsibilities. One questioner asked whether the resolution's approach would leave Georgia to administer programs currently run federally. Another member noted Georgia's current reading and math rankings in urging caution.

A committee leader also asked for civility after one exchange in which a member suggested the questioner "read the bill;" the introducer said the remark was friendly banter and that he respected the leader's comment.

Status and next steps: the resolution was presented for consideration and later was placed on the committee's supplemental calendar; members debated the policy implications and operational questions but the committee did not adopt substantive changes to federal law (the resolution is an urging measure). No formal vote to adopt federal policy can be taken by the state committee; the transcript shows the matter advanced as part of the day's calendar actions.

Representative Wade said the change would allow states like Georgia to "act more swiftly without waiting on federal bureaucracy," while questioners pressed on practical and performance concerns.