Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump’s decide to run the Division of Schooling, seems to be absolutely on board with destroying the company she’s set to run.
In a sequence of questions requested by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Andy Kim (D-N.J.) after McMahon’s affirmation listening to earlier than the Senate training panel earlier this month, the nominee stated she “wholeheartedly helps” Trump’s plan to abolish the division.
“President Trump believes that the forms in Washington must be abolished in order that we will return training to the states, the place it belongs,” McMahon wrote, in response to her testimony shared with HuffPost. “I wholeheartedly help and agree with this mission.”
On the listening to, McMahon was extra cautious along with her phrases, saying that Trump want to “look, in totality, on the Division of Schooling,” and stated she “believes that the forms of it must be closed.” She additionally repeatedly famous that Trump doesn’t have the ability to unilaterally shut down the company and would want to work with Congress.
“Linda McMahon has made herself clear: She is going to do no matter Donald Trump asks her to do — together with shutting down the company she is meant to steer, which helps hundreds of thousands of scholars making an attempt to obtain an training,” Warren informed HuffPost. “Confirming her as training secretary could be a catastrophe for the success of scholars and lecturers in public colleges.”
Republicans have intermittently griped about shutting down the Department of Education because it was created in 1980. However with Trump’s election — and as right-wing tradition warriors just like the group Mothers for Liberty proceed to make deceptive claims about “woke ideology” being pressured on youngsters within the nation’s public colleges — that decades-old objective has inched nearer to actuality.
The Schooling Division doesn’t have a lot sway over the specifics of curricula. It’s principally tasked with offering assets for low-income colleges, guaranteeing equal entry to training and administering federal pupil loans.
“I’d prefer it to be closed instantly,” Trump said the day earlier than McMahon’s affirmation listening to. “The Division of Schooling’s a giant con job.”
After issuing govt orders that threaten to withhold funding from public colleges that educate about “range, fairness and inclusion” or the existence of transgender folks, multiple reports said that the White Home was planning an govt order that will search to close down the company, if Congress approves.
Of their post-hearing questions, Warren and Kim requested whether or not or not she’d decide to funding for numerous packages, like ones that search to strengthen traditionally Black universities or shield the civil rights of scholars. In addition they requested her about her ideas on defending the privateness of People. Officers from Elon Musk’s Division of Authorities Effectivity have reportedly tried to entry delicate data on the company.
Earlier than the listening to, members of Congress have been denied entry to the company’s constructing by DOGE, and a number of teams sued the Trump administration over who has entry to its personal data.
When requested by Warren and Kim about DOGE’s knowledge entry, McMahon didn’t appear bothered by it.
“My understanding is that each one DOGE workers are in full compliance with the legislation,” she answered.
The primary month of Trump’s return to energy has been marked by chaos; DOGE officers have proven up at federal companies, deemed a program or grant they don’t prefer to be in violation of Trump’s anti-DEI order or just label it as fraud or waste, and attempt to slash it. Already, Musk has bragged about canceling $900 million value of contracts from the Institute for Schooling Sciences, the company’s analysis arm. The DOGE crew has additionally tried to dismantle the U.S. Company for Worldwide Improvement and different authorities entities.
Federal companies solely obtain funding after it’s been appropriated by Congress. Advocates are nervous Musk and the DOGE crew might run the identical playbook on the Division of Schooling — that’s, withholding cash that Congress has already accepted.
Warren and Kim requested McMahon if she would decide to not suspending or chopping any cash appropriated by Congress — like funds for federal pupil support, trainer coaching packages, rural colleges and extra — McMahon repeatedly answered, “I’ll observe the legislation.”
McMahon’s refusal to enter specifics or decide to funding for a wide range of vital packages on the company was paying homage to her nomination listening to. Then, she additionally refused to answer if colleges could be liable to shedding their funding in the event that they hosted ethnic golf equipment or teams that went towards Trump’s govt orders.
Drastically decreasing the division’s funding, or shutting it down fully, could be a catastrophe for the hundreds of thousands of kids who depend on it to supply entry to training and shield their civil rights.
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“Linda McMahon has made clear her high accountability is full and complete loyalty to President Trump, together with her openness to dissolve the very division she could be confirmed to run,” Kim stated. “Because the administration’s unlawful funding freeze threatens already scarce assets for colleges and demanding packages, her blind loyalty is harmful.”
“As an alternative of treating training as a public good that may be a basis for our society, the Trump administration is making an attempt to demonize it and alter it in methods that may go away many youngsters susceptible,” he continued. “We can not allow them to.”
Final week, McMahon handed the primary hurdle to main the company, receiving a party-line vote out of committee. With no opposition from Republicans, she’s going to possible be confirmed as the following secretary of training.
