McConnell: Fort Campbell and Fort Knox Schools Allowed to Resume Extracurricular Activities

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today following the Department of Defense decision to allow athletics and extracurricular activities to resume at DoDEA schools, including those at Fort Campbell and Fort Knox:

"This decision provides welcome relief to the Fort Campbell and Fort Knox schools and their students, student-athletes, parents, and everyone who supports their school programs. I want to thank the Secretary of Defense for creating an exception to allow athletics and extracurricular activities at DoDEA schools to continue. Our servicemembers and their children shouldn't pay the price for Washington's failure to fund the government. I'm so grateful they'll now be able to suit up and get back in the game.

"While this is good news, it doesn't address the real issue. Democrats need to end the shutdown. As I have warned every time Congress faced this threat: no one wins in a shutdown. Shutting down the government is harmful to the country, and it never produces positive outcomes - on policy or politics. And what happened at Fort Campbell and Fort Knox is just one example of the impact it's having on our constituents."

NOTE: Senator McConnell sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth last Friday regarding the issue.

###

Permalink: https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2025/10/mcconnell-fort-campbell-and-fort-knox-schools-allowed-to-resume-extracurricular-activities