Ed. ‘Could not be closed’ without Congress

On By Littum

Protesters repeatedly disturbed the confirmation hearing for Trump’s Education Secretary nominated, and a democratic senator mocked the procedure as a “very elegant gaslighting.”

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Washington President Donald Trump’s election to lead the US education department recognized on Thursday that her boss cannot close the agency without going through Congress.

Linda McMahon, a billionaire GOP donor and former Wrestling Industry Executive, faced the lawmakers of Capitol Hill for a contentious confirmation hearing that was repeatedly interrupted by protesters.

Although McMahon is likely to be confirmed in the Republican controlled Senate, she has not spoken very publicly since her nomination to lead the department that the president has promised to shut down.

Her testimony provided fresh insight into her view of the presidential power and the role of the education department in supervising K-12 schools and colleges, and her is taking the ongoing turmoil on the agency she is expected to rule.

McMahon said she is supporting the revision of the department but emphasized that the Trump administration has no intention of taking money away from students.

Senator Tim Scott, a Republican in South Carolina, urged her colleagues to approve her nomination and criticized government overrun in schools and said: “10% of resources come from the federal government, and yet 80 to 90% of the rules suppressing performance comes Came from Washington. “

McMahon also emphasized her support for alternatives to the college and the school choice movement and confirmed that “implants” from Elon Musk’s government’s Task Force revise the agency.

Here are some takeaways and important moments from Thursday’s hearing:

‘A very elegant gaslighting’

As the White House prepares to issue an executive action to run the education department, McMahon said she “understands” the need to work with Congress to cut the agency.

Presidents do not have the unilateral authority to abolish agencies created by the legislative branch. But a plan is designed, she said, to create a “better functioning department for education.”

“We want to do this right,” she said, adding later that the agency “clearly could not be closed without” Congress.

When asked by Senator Maggie Hassan, a New Hampshire Democrat if she would violate federal law if President Trump asked her, McMahon said the president would not ask her to break the law.

“The past month has told us that he is very likely,” Hassan said. “The whole hearing right now feels very surreal to me. It is almost as if we are exposed to a very elegant gas lighting. “

McMahon: School Finding, Pell Grants Not In Jeopardy

McMahon emphasized that granted congressional financing for schools would not be threatened in the president’s planned inspection of the education department.

Pell Grants, who supports low -income university students, will not be affected, she said, nor financing section I, which helps districts with high poverty.

Senator Susan Collins, a moderate Republican from Maine, wondered how the administration could be the intestinal education department without affecting federal programs.

“How do we maintain administration and supervision of these programs if we abolish or significantly reorganize the Institute for Education?” she said.

Congressed programs will “continue to be deposed through the congress,” McMahon said.

McMahon: We honor the Public Service Loan Service Program.

Former President Joe Biden forgiven billions of dollars in student loan debt for millions of Americans. A significant amount of this relief came through the Public Service Loan Program program that allows certain types of workers, such as nurses and firefighters, to have their debt canceled after a decade in repayment.

Despite his party’s frequent criticism of student debt relief, McMahon signaled that student loan forgiveness programs already adopted by Congress should and would be honored if confirmed.

“It’s the law,” she said.

Confirms DODE ‘IMPLANTS’ ON ED -DEPARTMENT

In recent weeks, members of Elon Musk’s Task Force for government efficiency have revised the educational department’s functions, USA Today has reported.

Nearly $ 1 billion in educational research contracts was suddenly canceled Monday by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE. In the midst of running litigation, this task force has also been temporarily blocked to access large databases with the sensitive information from millions of students.

On the question of Musk’s team’s work, McMahon confirmed to legislators that a “couple of implants” from DOGE is investigating the education department.

Ed Markey, a Massachusetts -Democrat, later opposed the abbreviation for Musk’s Task Force should instead be a short for the “Department of Gutting Education.”

Zachary Schermele is an educational reporter for USA Today. You can reach him via e -mail at [email protected]. Follow him on x on @zachschermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.