Congressman Higgins has introduced a legislative proposal comprising four bills aimed at abolishing certain federal agencies and transferring their functions to state authorities. The legislation is designed to reduce federal spending, eliminate what Higgins describes as unnecessary federal agencies, and enhance state service capacity through block grants.
“America has been driving itself towards bankruptcy, and some of us have grabbed the wheel. Correction is a requirement, or financial collapse is inevitable,” said Congressman Higgins. “We are the legislative branch of government, and we have an obligation to present actual, legitimate, and Constitutionally sound solutions.”
The package proposes eliminating federal agencies where equivalent state-level departments exist. It aims to empower states by providing funding through a block-grant program established by Congress. The estimated annual savings from this legislative package are over $54 billion.
The proposed bills include the Sovereign States Emergency Management Act, the Sovereign State Environmental Quality Assurance Act, the Sovereign States Bureau of Prisons Restructuring Act, and the Sovereign States Education Restoration Act.
The legislation introduces a formula for action: abolishing unnecessary federal agencies such as the Department of Education, Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Prisons, and Federal Emergency Management Agency; building state capacity with funding equal to half of the FY19 budget of each abolished agency; and reducing federal involvement to grant administration and oversight of state spending.
Every American employee of these agencies would have opportunities within expanded state agencies. Funding for states would return federal spending below pre-COVID levels while enhancing services to citizens. A portion of funding would ensure proper grant administration through the US Treasury with oversight reserved for audit and reporting to Congress.
