Latest news with #federaloverreach
Fox News
27-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
RILEY GAINES: Trump did right thing with DOE cuts, now Congress needs to get in the game
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court gave the green light for his administration to slash nearly a third of the Department of Education's workforce. It's a big (and long overdue) step toward reining in decades of federal overreach that's taken power away from parents and local communities. Here's what happened: The Court lifted a lower court's block on Trump's executive order, which directed Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to start shutting the department down and returning control of education to the states. Essential services would stay intact. But the bloated bureaucracy? That's on the chopping block. And it should be. For years, the Department of Education has acted less like a support system and more like a control center. With around 4,000 employees, its main tasks have included writing regulations, managing student loans, and overseeing grants. Even its PR office has 89 staffers and costs taxpayers over $10 million a year. A quick number crunch shows a pretty glamorous salary for a not-so-glamorous job. That money's not going to raise reading scores or teach kids about the Constitution, that's for sure. That's why this restructuring matters. Student loan management is being handed over to the Treasury Department, where it belongs. A simplified repayment and collection system is already in motion. Meanwhile, other functions of the DOE are being reassigned to smaller, more efficient agencies. The goal? Streamline the system and put decision-making power back where it belongs: with parents and local authorities. Abolish the Department of Education entirely. But this is about more than just bureaucracy. It's about values. For years, bureaucrats in D.C. have decided what our kids learn, what values they're taught, and who's allowed to speak up in the classroom. That chapter is closing. Now it's time to restore education to the people it actually affects: families, teachers, and local leaders. For years, the DOE has pushed a radical agenda on schools across the country. In 2016, it sent a "Dear Colleague" letter to school districts, threatening to pull funding unless they allowed boys into girls' locker rooms, bathrooms, and sports teams. This wasn't about safety or fairness; it was about forcing schools to comply with a social ideology most parents never agreed to. Go back even further. This radicalization started under the Obama administration. In 2011, the DOE rewrote Title IX rules to lower due process standards in campus sexual harassment cases, leading to lawsuits and unjust expulsions. In 2014, it teamed up with the DOJ to pressure schools into enforcing racial discipline quotas regardless of whether actual discrimination existed. Teachers were forced to ignore disruptive behavior to avoid triggering federal investigations. And under Biden, it got worse. The DOE tried to expand Title IX to include "gender identity" and disregard "sex," pressuring schools to rewrite policies on housing, sports, and facilities until courts stepped in and said enough. None of these decisions came from Congress. They were mandates from unelected bureaucrats, better known as people you didn't vote for and can't hold accountable. That's not how a constitutional republic is supposed to work. Now, thanks to the Supreme Court, the door is open to real reform. Congress has the power to finish the job and eliminate the DOE for good. These layoffs are just the first move toward dismantling a department that has prioritized politics over education for far too long. For years, bureaucrats in D.C. have decided what our kids learn, what values they're taught, and who's allowed to speak up in the classroom. That chapter is closing. Now it's time to restore education to the people it actually affects: families, teachers, and local leaders. Local control means more freedom, better accountability, and real opportunities for students to succeed. It means pulling education out of Washington's grip and giving it back to the people who know their kids best. The Supreme Court did its part. Now it's Congress's turn. Let's finish what Trump started. Eliminate the Department of Education and build a system based on merit, fairness, and freedom. Our kids and, in turn, the future of America deserve nothing less. Editor's note: This column was first published on Outkick.
CBC
26-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Alberta panel formed to fight federal overreach questioned over proposed cuts to newcomers
Two members of Alberta's new $2-million panel fighting federal overreach say they aren't responsible for the messaging and ideas on the panel's website, including a suggestion to end social supports for some newcomers. "I can't comment on what the province has put up in the website," Adam Legge, president of the Business Council of Alberta, said in an interview Wednesday. Legge and University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe are two of 15 people introduced by Premier Danielle Smith this week for the Alberta Next panel. The panel, led by Smith, is set to tour the province this summer to hear concerns from citizens surrounding ways to stop unwarranted meddling in Alberta's affairs from Prime Minister Mark Carney's government. The panel is to recommend a series of questions to be put to a referendum next year. Legge, who stood beside Smith the day before at a press conference announcing the panel, said he agreed with messaging on the panel's website that blames housing costs and unemployment on "disastrous" immigration rates. In the interview, he said immigration levels, especially for temporary foreign workers and international students, are out of control. "The numbers have gotten so high that Canada simply cannot keep up from a social service standpoint, housing standpoint, access to doctors and physicians standpoint," he said. But he declined to comment on the panel polling Albertans on cutting social services like health care and education to immigrants not sanctioned by Alberta. Tombe, in an interview, also said the panel's website ideas originate with the government. "I can't speak to the government's marketing decisions," Tombe said. "Politicians of all parties, of all governments, are in the business of persuading." Asked if he agreed that cutting service access was a solution, Tombe said he didn't agree with the immigration problems as they were illustrated on the panel's website. He said it's not clear if the government is more concerned about population pressures, international students, or housing shortages but said in each instance reality is more complicated than what is laid out by the government. "If we can clearly define what the actual concern is, then we can get into a more productive policy conversation about how to address it," he said. 'Disastrous' and done The panel's website says immigration over the past decade has been "disastrous" and done "without any sort of proper vetting." "Housing prices have skyrocketed. Unemployment keeps increasing as immigration outpaces job growth. And sadly, many of the divisions and disputes that plague other countries have begun making their way into ours," the website reads. To counteract this, the website says Alberta could issue its own immigration permits and cut off those who don't have them from accessing provincially-funded services. Smith has spoken about the panel for months, characterizing it as part of a two-track process, to listen to Albertans' concerns while also negotiating with Ottawa on ways to reduce federal rules and policies Smith says are undermining energy development and Alberta's overall prosperity. Smith's government has also loosened referendum rules, making it easier for citizens to gather signatures for public votes on hot topics including separating from Canada. The immigration proposal and messaging on other ideas for consideration drew criticism from provincial and federal counterparts. In Calgary, Federal Industry Minister Melanie Joly, asked by reporters about the panel, said she was "not necessarily" keeping up with it, but added, "I'm personally a very important proponent of national unity." Alberta Independent Senator Paula Simons posted on social media that Smith's government was embarking on a "vile hate campaign" when it comes to its proposed immigration measures. "This bitter xenophobia is as un-Albertan as it's possible to be." WATCH | Alberta's strained relationship with Ottawa: Can it be mended? Will premier's Alberta Next panel reset the province's relationship with Canada? | Power & Politics 2 days ago Duration 2:57 As Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announces the members of the Alberta Next panel who will tour the province with her to gather Albertans' views on their relationship with Ottawa, the CBC's Jason Markusoff tells Power & Politics the consultations may result in simultaneous referendum questions on issues like removing the province from the Canada Pension Plan and moving forward on a sovereign Alberta. Opposition Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said the panel's ideas are "worrisome" and "full of extremist language that has no place in our province." Smith's press secretary, Sam Blackett, responded to emailed questions on the immigration issue by sending quotes from the panel's website. He also said that a potential Alberta-approved immigration permit would be granted to those who move to the province under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program, which fast-tracks the permanent residency process for workers in sought after sectors like health care, technology and law enforcement. Blackett said permanent residents also wouldn't be blocked from accessing services.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alberta panel members say idea to cut aid to some newcomers comes from government
EDMONTON — Two members of Alberta's new $2-million panel fighting federal overreach say they aren't responsible for the messaging and ideas on the panel's website, including a suggestion to end social supports for some newcomers. "I can't comment on what the province has put up in the website," Adam Legge, president of the Business Council of Alberta, said in an interview Wednesday. Legge and University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe are two of 15 people introduced by Premier Danielle Smith this week for the Alberta Next panel. The panel, led by Smith, is set to tour the province this summer to hear concerns from citizens surrounding ways to stop unwarranted meddling in Alberta's affairs from Prime Minister Mark Carney's government. The panel is to recommend a series of questions to be put to a referendum next year. Legge, who stood beside Smith the day before at a press conference announcing the panel, said he agreed with messaging on the panel's website that blames housing costs and unemployment on "disastrous" immigration rates. In the interview, he said immigration levels, especially for temporary foreign workers and international students, are out of control. "The numbers have gotten so high that Canada simply cannot keep up from a social service standpoint, housing standpoint, access to doctors and physicians standpoint," he said. But he declined to comment on the panel polling Albertans on cutting social services like health care and education to immigrants not sanctioned by Alberta. Tombe, in an interivew, also said the panel's website ideas originate with the government. "I can't speak to the government's marketing decisions," Tombe said. "Politicians of all parties, of all governments, are in the business of persuading." When asked if he agreed cutting service access was a solution, Tombe said he didn't agree with the immigration problems as they were illustrated on the panel's website. He said it's not clear if the government is more concerned about population pressures, international students, or housing shortages but said in each instance reality is more complicated than what is laid out by the government. "If we can clearly define what the actual concern is, then we can get into a more productive policy conversation about how to address it," he said. The panel's website says immigration over the past decade has been "disastrous" and done "without any sort of proper vetting." "Housing prices have skyrocketed. Unemployment keeps increasing as immigration outpaces job growth. And sadly, many of the divisions and disputes that plague other countries have begun making their way into ours," the website reads. To counteract this, the website says Alberta could issue its own immigration permits and cut off those who don't have them from accessing provincially funded services. Smith has spoken about the panel for months, characterizing it as part of a two-track process, to listen to Albertans' concerns while also negotiating with Carney's government on ways to reduce federal rules and policies Smith says are undermining energy development and Alberta's overall prosperity. Smith's government has also loosened referendum rules, making it easier for citizens to gather signatures for public votes on hot topics including separating from Canada. The immigration proposal and messaging on other ideas for consideration drew criticism from provincial and federal counterparts. In Calgary, Federal Industry Minister Melanie Joly, asked by reporters about the panel, said she was 'not necessarily' keeping up with it, but added, 'I'm personally a very important proponent of national unity.' Alberta Independent Senator Paula Simons posted on social media that Smith's government was embarking on a "vile hate campaign" when it comes to its proposed immigration measures. "This bitter xenophobia is as un-Albertan as it's possible to be." Opposition Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said the panel's ideas are "worrisome" and "full of extremist language that has no place in our province." Smith's press secretary, Sam Blackett, responded to emailed questions on the immigration issue by sending quotes from the panel's website. He also said that a potential Alberta-approved immigration permit would be granted to those who move to the province under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program, which fast-tracks the permanent residency process for workers in sought after sectors like health care, technology and law enforcement. Blackett said permanent residents also wouldn't be blocked from accessing services. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025. Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press
CTV News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Alberta panel member says ask Premier Smith about idea to cut aid to some newcomers
A key member of Alberta's new panel fighting federal overreach says Canada's immigration system needs fixing, but couldn't comment on the panel considering an idea to cut supports for some newcomers. Business Council of Alberta president Adam Legge says questions about potentially excluding certain immigrants from services like health care should be addressed to Premier Danielle Smith. Barring services to some newcomers is a solution being put forward on immigration on the panel's website. It claims recent immigration levels are to blame for high housing costs, high unemployment and some social unrest, and says one solution might be for Alberta to issue its own immigration permits to preferred newcomers. Legge says all of the ideas on the panel's website come from Smith's government, including proposals to create a provincial pension plan, police force and tax collection agency. But he says the panel won't be limited to the government's ideas, and he hopes Albertans attend planned town halls over the summer to share their thoughts. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025. Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alberta to launch panel tour to 'chart a path forward' amid new pipeline talk
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says a new panel will hit the road this summer with an eye on devising new measures for Alberta to assert autonomy and shield its economy from what she calls federal overreach. The "Alberta Next" panel, which was announced in May, will hold a series of in-person town halls over the summer, with exact locations to be announced in the coming weeks. It will also collect feedback through online surveys. Proposals that come out of those discussions could be put to a vote in a referendum next year. "The Alberta Next panel will put Albertans in the drivers' seat," Smith told reporters at a news conference in Heritage Park in Calgary on Tuesday. "It will give them the rightful opportunity to decide how Alberta can become stronger and more sovereign within a united Canada." Smith previously said she would chair the panel. In addition to Smith, the panel will include Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz, economist Trevor Tombe, and Adam Legge of the Business Council of Alberta, among others, with some still to be announced. Long-running face-off with Ottawa A government news release issued Tuesday stated that the panel would engage directly with Albertans to "chart a path forward for the province." Wherever that path leads will be the latest development in a years-long face-off over energy and economic policy between Alberta and Ottawa. "You know what Ottawa can't help but be fixated on? ... Punishing our energy sector and layering on policies to keep it in the ground," Smith said. WATCH | How will Alberta Next panel affect province's relationship with Ottawa?: The government said the panel would consult Albertans on subjects like the possibility of establishing an Alberta pension plan, switching to an Alberta provincial police service from the RCMP and considering potential immigration reform, among other issues. Some of the subjects echo the UCP's former Fair Deal Panel, which produced 25 recommendations, including developing a plan to withdraw from the Canada Pension Plan and creating a provincial police force. Asked by reporters Tuesday about how this effort would be different, Smith said that sometimes conversations that emerge out of the panel discussions lead to a "national dialogue." "We identified six issues that we know have come up in the previous round of the Fair Deal Panel that we think Albertans now may want to put to a referendum so that we can take some action on them," Smith said. "But there may be others, and that's what we want to be able to explore." Smith has said that her government doesn't plan on including a question on Alberta separation as a part of the 2026 referendum ballot. However, she reiterated Tuesday that citizen-initiated petitions could result in questions being added if the petitioners gather 177,000 signatures. Lori Williams, an associate professor of policy studies at Mount Royal University in Calgary, said the addition of individuals like economist Tombe and Tara Sawyer, MLA-elect for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills, suggested a balance of voices rather than a panel predisposed to a particular outcome. However, she questioned the focus on issues such as an Alberta pension plan, which has already been studied at length. "It raises questions, from a government that says it wants to listen to Albertans, that it keeps asking questions that it has already gotten ... clear 'no' answers to," she said. Talk of new pipeline On Tuesday, Bloomberg News reported that Smith told the news agency in an interview that she expected a private company would bring forward a proposal to build a new oil pipeline to the British Columbia coast within weeks. Smith has not named the company and no firm has yet publicly committed to the idea. Asked by reporters at Tuesday's news conference about that report, Smith said she had been talking with all of the pipeline companies since she was elected. "I feel like we're pretty close to having, either one or a consortium come forward," she said. "I would hope that that would happen very soon, because we need to send a signal to Albertans very soon and test the new process the prime minister is putting forward." Last week, the Liberal government's major projects legislation passed in the House of Commons. It aims to reduce interprovincial trade barriers and speed up approvals for major projects in the national interest. Specific projects haven't yet been identified, however Prime Minister Mark Carney has said decarbonized oil pipelines are "absolutely" in the national interest and would support both trade diversification and new industry development. WATCH | MPs push through Carney's major projects bill before summer break: Currently, the federally-owned Trans Mountain pipeline carries crude oil from Alberta to the West Coast. But Smith has been vocal about potentially revisiting a plan to ship oilsands crude to the northern B.C. coast, telling reporters at the Global Energy Show earlier this month that the province was working to entice a private-sector pipeline builder. Smith has suggested that Prince Rupert, B.C., could work as a potential end point for the pipeline. Plans for the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline to export crude oil near Kitimat, B.C., were scrapped in 2016 following a court ruling that determined Ottawa failed to properly consult First Nations affected by the pipeline. With talk of a revival of such plans on the radar, B.C. Premier David Eby said earlier this week that he opposed public funding for an oil pipeline to the north coast, but added he wasn't against a privately-backed option. "What I don't support is tens of billions of dollars in federal subsidy going to build this new pipeline when we already own a pipeline [Trans Mountain] that empties into British Columbia and has significant additional capacity — 200,000 barrels," Eby said on Sunday.
