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U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens backs block grants for education, defends tariffs and economic overhaul
Summary
U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens urged moving federal K-12 authority and funding to states through block grants, criticized the U.S. Department of Education as failing, and defended the Trump administration—s tariff and trade policies during a radio interview.
U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens, a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, told a radio host that he supports moving federal K-12 education funding and many programs back to states and called the U.S. Department of Education "a total failure." "That's the reason why we've been pushing for it," Owens said. "We're gonna block grant this back to the states."
Owens said federal education bureaucracy reduces funds available locally and imposes rules that limit state and local flexibility. "Do we trust the bureaucrats in DC that takes 10% ... and they pay have all the rules and regulations come with it? Or do we trust American people with their own kids?" he asked, arguing states and parents should decide how to spend education dollars.
The congressman attributed poor academic outcomes to federal failure, saying a 2017 study showed large gaps in reading and math proficiency among Black boys in parts of the country; those remarks were made in the interview and attributed to Owens. He specifically cited low or "0 proficiency" in some Baltimore-area districts as part of his criticism.
On trade and the broader economic agenda, Owens defended recent tariff moves and said short-term disruption could lead to businesses returning to the U.S. "The trade process of tariffs is all about fairness," he said. "If they treat us unfairly, we should treat them the same way." Owens described the administration's actions as a "culture change" aimed at boosting domestic business investment and said he had seen "billions of dollars coming back" in the first weeks of the policy shift.
The interview included questions from the host about whether returning federal authority to states would reduce funding for local schools; Owens responded that block grants and returning dollars to states would allow local districts and school boards to decide priorities. He also said the administration—s actions would be disruptive in the short term but ultimately beneficial for workers and students.
No formal legislation, vote, or administrative action was taken during the interview; Owens described policy goals and defended administration choices but did not announce specific bills or timelines.
The interview also referenced other education figures and commentators by name (Randy Weingarten and a person identified on-air as "Matt Myers"). The host framed some comments using those references; the article attributes claims and statistics only where they were stated on the record in the interview.
Looking ahead, Owens said he expects the process to take time and emphasized the need for what he described as innovation at the state and local level. "Give it time," he said. "We're getting back to it."
