The Education and Workforce Committee passed 10 bills on July 15 to begin codifying the Trump administration’s plan to right-size the Department of Education and ensure students, families, educators, and taxpayers are served by a government that puts results ahead of bureaucracy.
Following the markup, Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg said, “For too long, Washington has accepted outcomes that should be unacceptable. Too many children can’t read or do math at grade level. Too many students leave college without a degree or the skills they need to succeed. And the federal government has mismanaged a $1.7 trillion student loan portfolio, leaving more than 9 million borrowers in default. The question before the Committee today was simple: do we defend the bureaucracy that produced those results, or do we pursue reforms that put students, families, and workers first? Committee Republicans chose reform because we believe every American deserves the opportunity to succeed.”
The legislative package includes H.R. 9607 (Less Bureaucracy, Better Workforce Development Act), H.R. 9609 (Less Bureaucracy, Better Student Aid Act), H.R. 9602 (Less Bureaucracy, Better Foreign Gift Transparency Act), H.R. 9603 (Less Bureaucracy, Better International Education Oversight Act), H.R. 9605 (Less Bureaucracy, Better Foreign Medical Accreditation Act), H.R. 9606 (Less Bureaucracy, Better Child Care for Student Parents Act), H.R. 9611 (Less Bureaucracy, Better Higher Education Act), H.R. 9610 (Less Bureaucracy, Better K-12 Education Act), H.R. 9608 (Less Bureaucracy, Better Family Engagement Act), and H.R. 9604 (Less Bureaucracy, Better Tribal Education Act).
The House Education and Workforce Committee manages federal programs concerning education, labor, health, and workforce development; it also influences policy on issues such as student loans and worker protections. It serves in the legislative sector with jurisdiction over education and labor matters, according to the official website.
Committee members say these measures are intended to prioritize reforms over maintaining existing bureaucratic structures.