"We
would do Education, we would do Commerce, we'd do Energy, and we
would do IRS," he said, when asked by Fox News host Martha
MacCallum whether he would cut any agencies while in office.
"And so if Congress will work with me on doing that, we'll be
able to reduce the size and scope of government."
Some high-ranking Republicans have called for those departments
to be eliminated in the past. The Department of Education in
particular has been a target for conservatives, and former
President Donald Trump has also called for its abolition.
DeSantis' embrace of eliminating major federal agencies early in
the Republican presidential primary underlines the emphasis his
campaign has put on radically downsizing the federal
bureaucracy.
He frequently accuses broad swathes of the government of
political bias against conservatives, and has promised sweeping
personnel overhauls should he be elected. He had already come
out in favor of abolishing the IRS.
The Florida governor has consistently trailed Trump in public
opinion polls, but his level of support is higher than that of
the rest of the Republican pack. About 43% of Republicans backed
Trump in a June 9-12 Reuters/Ipsos poll, compared with 22%
supporting DeSantis.
(Reporting by Gram Slattery. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2022 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
![](column_spacer.png)
|
|