Should federal funds be used to arm teachers?
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is reportedly considering allowing states to use federal funds to buy firearms for educators; 'The Ingraham Angle' guests debate.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is reportedly considering allowing states to use federal funds to buy firearms for educators.
The New York Times, citing multiple people with knowledge of the plan, reported Wednesday evening that the department is focusing on a federal education law that does not explicitly prohibit the purchase of firearms through federal funds called the Student Support and Academic Enrichment grants.
It would be up to DeVos to approve of any such measure, The Times reported.
The Department of Education did not immediately respond to an email from Fox News.
A spokeswoman for the education department told the paper that the agency is “constantly considering and evaluating policy issues, particularly issues related to school safety,” but did not specifically address whether the department is considering granting states the option to use federal funds for weapons purchases.
“The secretary nor the department issues opinions on hypothetical scenarios,” the spokeswoman said.
Former Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords -- who was injured during a 2011 shooting at a meet-and-greet event in Tuscon, Az. – said arming teachers puts “children in even more danger.”
“Arming teachers is not a solution. It recklessly puts American children in even more danger,” Giffords tweeted late Wednesday evening. “We can forge a better path. It’s time for Americans to find the courage to fight for our own safety.”
Stricter gun control laws have been at the forefront of hotly debated topics in Washington since a gunman opened fire at a high school in Parkland, Florida, and killed 17 students and faculty members.
President Trump in February expressed his support for arming “gun adept teachers with military or special training experience,” as a way to prevent another “savage sicko” from causing mass causalities.
He also advocated for gun control measures, such as raising the minimum age to purchase a firearm to 21.
DeVos unveiled a federal commission on school safety in March to study whether to ban gun sales to people under 21, among other things.
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