by Staff Reporter | Mar 22, 2025 | Education, News
By Staff Reporter |
After 45 years of existence, the Department of Education (ED) is coming to an end.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday dismantling ED: “Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities.” The historic order stops short of total abolition of the agency, since law dictates that Congress must be the one to close it.
The order cited historic lows of reading and math scores among children as proof of ED’s decades-long failures, and contrasted the poor educational outcomes with ED’s high budget and massive staffing.
“While the Department of Education does not educate anyone, it maintains a public relations office that includes over 80 staffers at a cost of more than $10 million per year,” said the order. “Closing the Department of Education would provide children and their families the opportunity to escape a system that is failing them.”
The order further accused ED of operating like an inefficient bank with its management of over $1.6 trillion in student loan debt.
Trump directed Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to undertake measures to close ED and return authority to the states, as well as terminate funding to programs and activities engaged in progressive ideologies including diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and gender theory.
Reactions among Arizona leadership fell largely along party lines.
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI), Tom Horne, praised the executive order, calling the agency an “unnecessary” entity dedicated to heaping more bureaucracy on the states.
“The Federal Department of Education was unnecessary and added bureaucracy for states,” said Horne. “Thank you President Trump for bringing education back to the states where it belongs.”
Congressional efforts to codify the executive order are also underway. South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds revealed to Fox News that he’s been in discussions with Trump to do just that.
“I am working on legislation that would return education decisions to states and local school districts while maintaining important programs like special education and Title I,” said Rounds. “We are discussing this legislation with Secretary McMahon, and we believe there is a very good path forward.”
Earlier this month, the Trump administration slashed ED’s workforce by nearly half (over 1,300 staffers). Thursday’s executive order will further reduce the remaining 2,200 employees.
Although Trump’s order does not close ED totally, Mayes claimed the executive order was “illegal.”
“The Department of Education cannot be dismantled via executive order,” said Mayes. “This chaos is not about efficiency — it’s destruction.”
Governor Katie Hobbs said Arizona stands to lose $1 billion in federal funds for certain programs, like special education, with the dismantling of ED.
Senator Mark Kelly rejected Republican predictions of ED’s abolition leading to better schools and student outcomes.
“It will further undermine public schools, making it harder for kids from working families like mine or who need a little extra help to get a good education,” said Kelly.
Senator Ruben Gallego claimed Trump was abolishing ED to enrich “his billionaire friends” and reduce school funding.
“He wants fewer resources for teachers and fewer opportunities for our kids — just so his billionaire friends can get richer,” said Gallego.
Rep. Eli Crane called the continuance of ED an “insanity,” referencing the decades-long decline of student outcomes.
“Thank you to President Trump for having the courage to do this,” said Crane.
Rep. Andy Biggs also touched on the disparity of high funding and low outcomes. Biggs said Trump was right to be “returning power” to Arizona and its parents.
“Taxpayer funding for public schools is at an all-time high, but test scores are at an all-time low,” said Biggs. “The radical Biden-Harris regime weaponized the Department of Education against their opponents.”
Rep. Yassamin Ansari predicted that children would be forced out of schools, teachers would be fired, and special education services would cease.
“This reckless and irrational move will devastate our future — all to give tax breaks to billionaires at the expense of our kids,” said Ansari. “We’re going to fight this illegal EO with every tool we have.”
Rep. Greg Stanton called the order “a direct attack on Arizona kids,” and asserted it was illegal.
Senate President Warren Petersen reposted remarks made by Secretary McMahon to Fox News. McMahon echoed Trump’s questioning why federal education spending only continues to increase while outcomes have decreased.
“We have to let teachers teach. I have such respect for teachers. I think it is the most noble profession in the world, and I have seen what can happen when teachers are allowed to teach and be innovative and creative in our classrooms,” said McMahon. “For every dollar that goes into the school system, it’s been reported to me that almost 47 cents of that dollar is spent on regulatory compliance. Teachers they don’t want to stay, they’re leaving the profession, because they’re bogged down by regulation. Let’s lift that burden and let them do what they do best, which is teach.”
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by Matthew Holloway | Mar 14, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
On Monday, the Subterranean Border Defense Act, jointly reintroduced by Reps. Eli Crane (R-AZ) and Lou Correa (D-CA) was passed in the U.S. House of Representatives and now moves to the Senate. The bipartisan bill received near-unanimous support with 402 votes in favor and one against. The one vote against came from Michigan Democrat Rep. Rashida Tlaib.
“Passage of this bill is a massive win for our security. With border crossings thankfully going down since January, it’s safe to assume this will drive threats underneath our border through these tunnels. This legislation will ensure Congress has sufficient knowledge and oversight in regard to this dynamic threat,” Rep. Crane said in a statement.
In a post to X, Crane took note of Tlaib’s dissenting vote writing, “I thought for sure everyone was gonna vote yes on my bill this evening. 402-1 is still pretty solid though.”
Commenting during House proceedings, Crane explained the necessity of the bill by telling Congress, “Since 1990, officials have discovered more than 140 tunnels that have breached the border, with an 80% increase in tunnel activity since 2008,” according to CSPAN. He added, “As transnational criminal organizations continue to grow in both size and sophistication, illicit cross-border tunnels along the southwest border of the United States represent a significant and growing threat to national security.”
According to Fox News, Tlaib’s office did not respond to requests for comment on her lone vote against the measure, which fellow Democrat Rep. Correa called “an important step in the right direction.”
Crane thanked members of Congress on both sides of the aisle for their support saying, “Effective border security is created by overlapping deterrents, and I’m grateful to Chairman Green, Rep. Correa, and my colleagues for supporting this bill.”
In his own statement on the bill, Correa said, “It’s clear that human traffickers and illegal drug smugglers have developed dynamic ways to evade capture—making it urgent and necessary that we adapt to defend against their attempts to breach our border.” He added, “I’m honored to be leading this bipartisan effort, alongside Rep. Crane, to help improve our efforts to counter these tunnels and those who rely on them, and protect the lives of those on both sides of our border.”
The legislation, expected to be taken up by the Senate quickly, was co-sponsored by Representatives Biggs (R-AZ), Duncan (R-SC), Gosar (R-AZ), Guest (R-TX), Higgins (R-LA), Luttrell (R-TX), McCaul (R-TX), and Ogles (R-TN).
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Mar 12, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona Congressmen Andy Biggs (R-AZ5) and Eli Crane (R-AZ2) shared a somewhat cramped carpool video with fellow Freedom Caucus members Reps. Josh Brecheen (R-OK2) and Clay Higgins (R-LA3) last week. The group was commuting from a meeting with President Donald Trump where they discussed the implementation of the president’s policy set out in his address to a Joint Session of Congress the previous night.
The congressmen made light of the close quarters but emphasized their commitment to forwarding the president’s agenda. Higgins quippedsarcastically, “This is the luxury that your congressmen ride in,” as the congressmen laughed. “As you can see we’re in a massive limousine, you know, even though we’re being fed grilled shrimp from the front. Also there’s three of us squeezed into a two-person seat!”
Biggs told followers, “We’re coming back from the White House where we had the privilege of meeting with President Trump. It’s always a great meeting. And we just wanted to let you know that we’re on the cheap, but we are working hard for you.”
Rep. Brecheen commented on Trump’s address saying, “Great speech last night. My gosh.”
Biggs added “We’re gonna do this. We’re going to get President Trump’s mandate through, and that’s not just President Trump’s mandate. That’s the people’s mandate.”
As reported by Fox News, members of the Freedom Caucus, led by Chairman Andy Harris (R-MD), met with Trump and Harris told the outlet, “It’s a meeting with the House Freedom Caucus leadership, and then a few of the people who philosophically share our feelings about the fiscal situation. And we’re going to hear what the president has to say.”
“I’m hopeful we can get this off the ground,” Harris said. “But, again, it’s going to involve all hands on deck in the Republican conference in the House.”
Rep. Higgins shared on Saturday, “MAGA Republicans have things well in hand. The CR through September is a final step of clearing the deck for President Trump and our America First agenda. Democrat elitists who have been devouring our country are freaking out, but they’re powerless to stop us.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Feb 21, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
In a bipartisan effort between Republican Congressman Eli Crane (AZ) and Democrat Congressman Mike Levin (CA), the “Hire Veterans Act” was reintroduced to the U.S. House of Representatives. If enacted, the bill would employ U.S. military veterans in vacant, critical roles within the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Land Management.
According to Crane, all three of the federal land management agencies have been suffering from serious staffing shortages that have negatively impacted their operational effectiveness. In particular, both Congressmen cited the U.S. Forest Service facing an ongoing struggle to recruit and train staff in multiple critical roles with what they referred to as “a noticeable gap in the experience and skill sets of candidates, affecting their capacity to address increasing wildfire threats.”
“As a 13-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, I’m all too familiar with the obstacles servicemen and women face when transitioning to civilian life. I’m also well-aware of the challenges our federal land management agencies currently face, particularly in filling vacancies for firefighters, park rangers, and foresters,” said Crane in a press release.
As reported by the New York Times, 3,400 employees from the U.S. Forest Service were terminated by the Trump Administration on Thursday, amounting to approximately 10% of the service’s workforce. Many of the newer employees would have been hired under the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion regimen of the Biden Administration.
“With this bill, Congress has the opportunity to both streamline the employment process for veterans AND better ensure that our natural resources are protected for future generations. I’m grateful to be able to introduce this legislation that serves our veterans while furthering the responsible stewardship of U.S. land,” Crane added.
“Our veterans sacrifice so much for our nation. We have an obligation to ensure that veterans returning to civilian life can get jobs and support their families,” said Rep. Levin. “I’m glad to be partnering with Rep. Crane on our bipartisan bill to expand opportunities for veterans and help connect them to jobs in federal land management agencies. I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this important legislation.”
According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which manages the Forest Service, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins issued a memorandum to rescind all Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) programs and celebrations. Instead, the USDA will reprioritize unity, equality, meritocracy, and color-blind policies.
Rollins said in her opening remarks at the USDA, “We will neither commemorate nor celebrate our immutable characteristics, neither among ourselves nor among Americans at large. We will instead celebrate the things that make us American: merit, faith, and liberty first among them. All Americans deserve equal dignity, and at this Department they will receive it. On this precipice of the 250th anniversary of our Revolution, we will rededicate ourselves to ‘the proposition that all men are created equal.’”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Feb 9, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
A Democrat SuperPAC bankrolled by leftist billionaires Michael Bloomberg, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, hedge fund manager Tom Steyer, and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman has reportedly targeted Arizona’s 2nd District Congressman Eli Crane for removal in the 2026 Congressional midterm. In a post to X, Crane shared the report from Fox News reporter Liz Elkind listing him with 13 other Congressmen to be opposed with a $50M investment summed up in a simple response: “Bring It.”
In a post to X on Monday, Crane wrote in full, “The great thing about #AZ02 is they see through phony attacks by coastal elites. Bring it.”
Elkind had reported that “Democrats’ House Majority PAC is rolling out a new initiative to win back working-class voters[.] 2026 Win Them Back Fund is launching with a $50M investment & initial plan targeting 14 Republicans who narrowly won their seats in November.”
According to Fox News, Mike Smith, president of the House Majority PAC told the New York Times that the “Win Them Back Fund” was created with an aim to generate appeal to draw working class voters to the Democratic Party after so many flipped to support President Donald Trump and the Republican Party this year. “We’re laying a marker down now,” he told the Times. “This is a priority.”
In addition to Crane, the House Majority PAC is targeting GOP Reps. Nick Begich (R-AK); David Valadao (R-CA-22); Ken Calvert, (R-CA-41); Gabe Evans, (R-CO-08); Mariannette Miller-Meeks, (R-IA-01); John James, (R-MI-10).
In a press release obtained by Fox News, the PAC said, “One of the major roadblocks we have faced as a party has been declining support among a multi-racial group of working class voters. That’s why HMP is today launching a 2026 Win Them Back Fund focused on ensuring that we win back working class voters across the congressional battlefield.”
“While Democrats at the Presidential level have consistently lost ground with working class voters for over the last decade, House Democrats like Reps. Adam Gray, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Don Davis, and Gabe Vasquez continue to overperform with this crucial bloc of voters. Their victories demonstrate that House Democrats can win back this coalition of voters with the support of strategic investments in recruitment, research, and programming.”
As noted by the outlet, while Democrats continue to deride billionaires such as Elon Musk and President Trump’s participation in the electoral process, high-profile donations to the PAC included $13 million from Bloomberg, $3 million from Pritzker, and $2 million from Steyer.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
