DeSantis to eliminate Education, Energy, Commerce Depts, and IRS.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Vows to Eliminate Cabinet-Level Departments

In a bold declaration, Florida GOP Governor Ron DeSantis announced his plans to eliminate several cabinet-level departments if he were to become president. During an interview with Fox News’ Martha MacCallum, DeSantis expressed his intention to do away with the Departments of Education, Commerce, Energy, and the IRS.

DeSantis, known for delivering on his promises during his tenure as governor, made these remarks when asked about federal agencies he would consider eliminating. He firmly stated, “We would do Education, we would do Commerce, we’d do Energy, and we would do IRS.”

The governor emphasized that reducing the size and scope of government is crucial, and he is willing to work with Congress to achieve this goal. However, if Congress is unwilling to cooperate, DeSantis plans to utilize these agencies to combat what he perceives as the encroachment of woke ideology and leftism in American institutions.

Historical Context

It is worth noting that two of the agencies targeted by DeSantis were established by former President Jimmy Carter. The Department of Energy was established in 1977, while the Department of Education came into existence in 1980. The latter was established after the National Education Association (NEA) endorsed Carter in 1976, with promises of a Cabinet-level agency for education.

To eliminate a federal agency, a president must be granted presidential reorganization authority by Congress. Therefore, DeSantis would need to gain control of the Senate and maintain control of the House to have a chance at implementing his plan.

Presidential reorganization authority was first granted in 1932 and most recently given to former President Ronald Reagan. Previous presidents, such as George W. Bush and Barack Obama, sought this authority but were unsuccessful due to a lack of control over the entire Congress.

Challenging the Department of Education

In a recent development, DeSantis and the state of Florida filed a lawsuit against the Department of Education. The lawsuit accuses the department of unconstitutionally collaborating with accreditation bodies to impede DeSantis’ efforts to bring transparency and accountability to public colleges and universities.

DeSantis firmly stated, “I will not allow Joe Biden’s Department of Education to defund America’s #1 higher education system simply because we refuse to bow to unaccountable accreditors who think they should run Florida’s public universities.”

The governor has consistently prioritized transparency, accountability, and the pursuit of truth in higher education. He believes that the Biden administration’s attempts to block these reforms constitute an abuse of federal power.

The lawsuit highlights the threat to Florida State University’s accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS). The threat arose when FSU considered appointing the State’s Commissioner of Education as the university president.

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases