A Senate committee voted Thursday to advance Linda McMahon's nomination to serve as President Donald Trump's education secretary. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions voted 12-11 along party lines to send her nomination to be considered by the full Senate.
During her confirmation hearing, McMahon expressed her desire to 'reorient' the Education Department. Despite Trump's previous calls to abolish the department, McMahon acknowledged that only Congress could make such a decision. She emphasized the importance of presenting a plan that would garner support from senators.
McMahon assured the preservation of federal funding for key education initiatives, including Title I money for low-income schools, Pell grants for low-income college students, and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. However, she also pledged to cut off federal funding from schools that defy Trump's directives on various issues such as transgender athletes in women's sports and campus diversity initiatives.
Democrats raised concerns about McMahon's stance on Trump's order to ban diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in schools. McMahon's lack of clarity on whether African American history classes could lead to a loss of federal funding was met with skepticism.
McMahon, a billionaire Trump ally with limited education experience, faced questions about her qualifications for the role. While Republicans largely supported her nomination, some, like Sen. Lisa Murkowski, expressed concerns about potential overreach by the administration in local school matters.
The White House is reportedly considering an order that would direct the education secretary to dismantle the Education Department, with the ultimate goal of full abolition by Congress. The Trump administration has already taken steps to reduce the department's workforce and cancel certain programs deemed to promote 'race-based discrimination and gender identity ideology.'
Despite the ongoing debate surrounding the future of the Education Department, McMahon's nomination moves forward, awaiting consideration by the full Senate.
