President Trump’s candidate for the Secretary of Education Linda McMahon She will appear before the Senate committee on health, education, labor and pensions on Thursday as the future of an institution she can potentially balance.
Trump has long bullied the possibility of shutting down the Department of Education, but he has been able to get closer to his pledge. Since taking office, the president has signed several Education-related Presidential Order and Multiple sources confirm that he is considering the executive’s actions to demolish the agency. This week, the Government’s Office of Efficiency, or Doge’s Director, Chief Elon Musk, has significantly reduced nearly $1 billion in funding from the department and terminated dozens of contracts and grants related to diversity, equity and inclusion. did.
“Yeah, I hope they close it soon,” Trump told White House reporters Wednesday. “Look, the Ministry of Education is a big fraudulent job.”
Prior to her testimony, McMahon met with at least 19 senators, ranging from GOP leadership to members of the Help Committee. Chairman Bill Cassidy said there was a “productive” argument in the pair.
“She’s ready to return power to her parents and reform the education sector that has lost its plot in the last four years of the Biden administration,” Senator Cassidy wrote to X.
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent member of the panel’s rankings, joined union members of the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, who opposed McMahon’s nomination outside the US Capitol on Wednesday.
“We understand that public education is the backbone of American democracy, where all of us can come together to learn and grow,” Sanders told the crowd. “Our job is not to destroy public education, but to make a huge improvement!”
Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Andy Kim of New Jersey have sent letters to McMahon questioning her experiences and policy views.
“You have a minimal track record on educational issues and have little experience related to education policy,” the senator wrote. “This lack of public records means that Americans are not given the opportunity to evaluate your views on topics relating to the Secretary of Education’s core responsibility.”
McMahon, former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, who served as manager of small business management during Trump’s first term, said he is “committed” to ensuring students receive quality education. It’s there.
“We look forward to working with students and educators – parents and communities to strengthen our education system. Every child, regardless of demographic, is prepared for a bright future. Please make sure that.” November.
Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Trump said that when Congressional Democrats were about to meet with deputy education secretary Dennis Carter last week, some House members were physically locked out of the agency’s Washington, DC headquarters, and that they would remove the education sector. The threat has been seized.
“It’s important that the Department of Education allows them to continue working,” Hakeem Jeffries, a minority leader, said at a weekly press conference. “It’s the heart, soul, spirit of America. As for my life, I can’t understand why Republicans want to abolish the Department of Education. That’s baffling to me. Our public schools.”
Even if Trump moves forward with the executive order, legal and education experts say Congressional action is needed to completely eliminate the Department of Education.
Republican Sen. Minecround of South Dakota introduced legislation last year that abolished the education sector and outlined the roadmap for returning control over the state. It also redirects other federal agencies to oversee certain functions such as Pell Grants and special education.
Shortly after Republicans ruled both units in January, Republicans in Kentucky introduced a one-line bill to end government agencies by the end of 2026. Measures have been introduced to protect the Ministry of Education.
“We don’t take away opportunities for so many kids,” Hayes said. “We don’t rule out Pell grants and all the programs that help people in low-income communities go to college.”
“When the American people start to understand it, I think, ‘Oh, wait a minute, I didn’t realize that that meant.’ I think that will be public protests and pushbacks across all sectors,” Hayes added, referring to the federal government for Trump’s hoped cuts.
But House Speaker Mike Johnson declared that “the time has come” to dissolve the education sector, saying Congress should codify the president’s executive order if it is enacted.
“We believe in the core principle that education is best treated by those closest to our children,” Johnson explained. “What does that mean? It means your local school district, your local school board. It means it’s at the state level, not the federal level. When you do that, we’ll give you more. When you make a choice, I think you give them more choices. Why we stand behind the choice of schools.
President Jimmy Carter signed the law in 1979 establishing the Department of Education. Federal funds account for less than 10% of the country’s public school funds. This is funded primarily through state and local taxes. The agency tasked with promoting student achievement also manages programs for disadvantaged students and special needs students, implements non-discrimination policies at schools, and supports federal universities’ loan programs .
Nicole Killion
