BREAKING: Betsy DeVos Is Said to Weigh Letting School Districts Use Federal Funds to Buy Guns

[Julian Englis]

Source: NY Times

Betsy DeVos, the education secretary, is considering whether to allow states to use federal funding intended to increase academic and enrichment opportunities to purchase guns for educators, according to multiple people with knowledge of the plan.

Such a move appears to be unprecedented, reversing a longstanding position taken by the federal government that it should not pay to outfit schools with weapons. And it would also undermine efforts by Congress to restrict the use of federal funding on guns. As recently as March, Congress passed a school safety bill that allocated $50 million a year to local school districts, but expressly prohibited the use of the money for firearms.

But the department is eyeing a program in federal education law, the Student Support and Academic Enrichment grants, that makes no mention of prohibiting weapons purchases. That omission would allow Ms. DeVos to use her discretion to approve any state or district plans to use grant funding for firearms and firearm training, unless Congress clarifies the law or bars such funding through legislative action.

“The department is constantly considering and evaluating policy issues, particularly issues related to school safety,” said Liz Hill, a spokeswoman for the Education Department. “The secretary nor the department issues opinions on hypothetical scenarios.”

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/22/us/politics/betsy-devos-guns.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur

[Lars39]

1. Madness

[underpants]

2. But, the Bears!

[aikoaiko]

3. If firearms are what schools want, then so be it.

[badhair77]

4. My head is exploding.

I thought it was an Onion story but then I see it’s the NYT. The world is out of control.

[Freethinker65]

5. This better be satire

[Onyrleft]

6. So. her brother is Erik Prince of Blackwater.

There are Blackwater branded guns.

[lunasun]

12. I did not know that he had his own brand !

https://www.gunsweek.com/en/industry/news/blackwater-ammunition-new-kid-town

[appalachiablue]

15. Both

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

23. This +1

[dalton99a]

7. Don't forget tanks and armored vehicles - Erik Prince knows where to get the best deals

[left-of-center2012]

9. Uh oh

I see trouble ahead for you

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

10. Teachers using their stagnant wages to buy supplies for kids in class bc theres no budget money...

however, devos needs to pander to the gun makers and use federal school funds to buy guns for schools. Erik surely will get a lift from the gun makers too. Maybe bulk pricing for those privateer army men in Afghanistan. Always setting up the next deal these guys. And unless we get good and gd angry about it, its not going to stop. When teachers marched...the country listened. Looks like they are forcing all of us to march with the teachers again. No problem. I met cool people last time. Resist.

[Mrs. Overall]

11. Absolutely insane.

[olddad56]

13. guns, no, we need drones and missles and maybe Blackwater, What a fucking idiot.

Putin must be so proud of her.

[appalachiablue]

14. Pure madness, and greed

[YOHABLO]

16. What a bunch of nut jobs. Will they be arming the teachers with AR-15s? Ridiculous.

[dalton99a]

18. And grenade launchers. Superior teaching comes from superior firepower

[Haggis for Breakfast]

17. This woman has lost her fucking mind.

At a time when teachers are grossly underpaid and yet they are purchasing supplies for their students out of their own pocket, and this stupid, ignorant, vile, ridiculous woman is "considering" this makes my blood boil. Her very presence in this job is an affront to intelligent people everywhere. Get her out. NOW.

[Initech]

20. This whole country has lost its' damn mind.

Only in the country where people harass and threaten mass shooting victims and call them "crisis actors" would anyone ever think this is a good idea. Yeah let's throw guns at a gun problem. What a great idea! It's bad enough bullets are coming from one direction, now we have to worry about crossfire in addition to that! And it's not enough that we have to worry about that, there's *TONS* of ways this could go wrong - careless teachers one of them.

[Initech]

19. Yeah the last thing we need in schools is more guns. God damn it!

[blue-wave]

21. K&R for exposure

and the opportunity to say I'm soooo happy I never purchased Amway products.

[Journeyman]

22. Will they also use federal funds for liability insurance? And which company will sell it to them?...

[BumRushDaShow]

24. "grants, that makes no mention of prohibiting weapons purchases"

"Guns" are not "Academic Enrichment". This block grant is listed under the replacement law to "No Child Left Behind" called the "Every Student Succeeds Act". Under Sect. 2101, what the grants are to be used for is specifically detailed under " (c) State Uses of Funds" (and this also applies to "local uses" ) and is very explicit as to the types of activities that qualify - generally both student and teacher learning, enrichment, professional development, and professional certification programs.

What she is proposing and promoting is a violation of appropriations law, calling for making unauthorized procurements and mis-using government funds by inferring funding for something that is not explicitly designated. If anything, that sort of thing might appear under a DHS appropriation but not a DOE one.

U.S. CONSTITUTION
Article I, Sect. 9

No money shall be drawn from the treasury, but in consequence of appropriations made by law; and a regular statement and account of receipts and expenditures of all public money shall be published from time to time.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/articlei#section9

[sinkingfeeling]

25. Not with my tax dollars!

[xor]

26. A howitzer for every classroom.