For Immediate Release
Contact: Kyle Gott
October 22, 2012
Phone:(918) 913-9209
Mullin: Eliminate the Dept. of Education
Muskogee, OK – Markwayne Mullin, a candidate for Congress in Oklahoma’s 2nd District, wants to eliminate the Department of Education. At a Muskogee County Republican meeting, Mullin was asked what departments he would get rid of if elected. Mullin’s answer stated first the Dept. of Education.
Eliminating the Department of Education would do serious damage to Oklahoma’s public schools. It would directly impact funding for our schools, take away Pell Grants, and would take away over $1billion funding for career tech education.
“Markwayne Mullin just doesn’t get it. A good education leads to a good economy. We need to be doing everything we can to invest in our children and our future. Our children and our workforce need more opportunities to learn and succeed in this economy. Mullin’s stance on eliminating the Department of Education is a scary proposition that would destroy Oklahoma’s public school system and neglect our children,” stated Rob Wallace.
Rob Wallace is strong supporter of public education and would never want to abolish the Dept. of Education.
Background
Would Abolish the Department of Education
In July 2012, it was reported Mullin said during a Republican debate he would abolish the Department of Education.
The article read, “When asked about government reform, the GOP candidates cited three federal agencies they would be more than happy to cut from existence. Both advocated for the abolition of the Environmental Protection Agency and Education Department. Faught added the Interior Department to his list. Mullin included the Energy Department to his hit list and also noted a need to look at cutting congressional salaries and staffs.” [Muskogee Phoenix, 7/17/12]
Would “Get Rid” of the Department of Education
In May 2012, Mullin said he’d get rid of the Department of Education if he could.
MAN: What’s the first three, three departments you would get rid of?
MULLIN: Oh if I had a magic wand…
MAN: If you had a wand or something like that…
MULLIN: The Department of Education, the EPA, and the Department of Energy [Muskogee County Republicans, 5/17/12, Part 2]
Report: Eliminating DOE would put Pell Grants “On the Chopping Block”
In September 2010, the Lexington Herald Leader reported eliminating the Department of Education would put programs like Pell Grants “on the chopping block.”
The article read, “Doing away with the U.S. Department of Education, which administers a budget of $63.7 billion and serves 56 million students, would force officials to determine whether to downsize, reassign or eliminate an array of programs. Programs on the chopping block would include Title I, which distributes funds to schools and districts with high numbers of low-income students; Pell Grants for low-income college students; and Head Start, an early childhood education program for lower-income children.” [Lexington Herald-Leader, 9/21/10]
…Nearly 100,000 Oklahoma Students Received Federal Pell Grants between 2009 and 2010
According to the US Department of Education, 97,321 Oklahoma students received federal Pell grants between 2009 and 2010 totaling $ 358,211,454 in funding. [US Department of Education, 2009-2010 Federal Pell Grant Program End-of-Year Report, accessed 7/25/12Table 22]
Job Training Programs Funded by Department of Education
According to the National Skills Coalition, federal funding for Career &Technical Education programs and Adult Education programs go through the Department of Education.
In the FY 2012 omnibus budget, $1,123,030,275 in federal DOE dollars went to Career & Technical Education programs and $594,993,000 went to Adult Education programs. [National Skills Coalition, accessed 4/17/12]
States Rely on Federal Government for 10 Percent of Education Budgets
In September 2010, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported that “states traditionally get 10 percent of their education dollars from the federal government.” [Lexington Herald-Leader, 9/21/10]
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