The Senate voted 51-45 on Monday to confirm Linda McMahon as Education secretary to lead a department that President Donald Trump has instructed her to dismantle and eventually close.
Republicans were unanimous in their support for McMahon while no Democrats backed her confirmation.
A loyal Trump ally, McMahon served as head of the Small Business Administration in the president’s first term. She also co-chaired his presidential transition team and raised millions as chair of the America First Action super PAC, which supported his campaign.
Sen. Charles E. Grassley, an Iowa Republican, argued ahead of the confirmation vote that McMahon’s previous management experience, including as CEO of wrestling entertainment giant WWE, was sufficient for the secretary job.
“I know that some people feel that the secretary of Education should have extensive experience in a school system. However, it is important to remember that education is still mostly a state and local responsibility. There is no such thing as a federal superintendent of education. The U.S. Department of Education doesn’t run any schools,” he said, later adding, “The job description of a secretary of Education is to manage a bureaucracy who runs a number of funding programs.”
Trump told reporters in February that he’s instructed McMahon to “do a great job and put yourself out of a job.” McMahon said at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee that any plan to close the Education Department would need to go through Congress.
McMahon is a supporter of school choice, or the use of public money for private schools through voucher programs. She also said at her hearing that she hopes to expand apprenticeships and workplace training programs and that shutting down the Education Department wouldn’t mean eliminating its funding.
“It is not the president’s goal to defund the programs,” she said. “It’s only to have it operate more efficiently.”
In floor remarks before Monday’s vote, Senate Majority Leader John Thune highlighted McMahon’s work as a trustee for Sacred Heart University and a past member of the Connecticut Board of Education. The South Dakota Republican also downplayed the federal government’s role in funding public schools, instead opting to blame the Education Department for over-regulation.
“It’s these policies that are holding back school districts from innovating and ultimately improving the education that they provide,” Thune said.
Throughout McMahon’s confirmation process, Democrats have expressed concern that, at Trump’s direction, she may not support Education Department programs that help students with disabilities or low-income students.
“There are 7.4 million students with disabilities who could see the IDEA program upended, cutting off support that state and local taxpayers will need to provide,” Washington Sen. Patty Murray said Monday. “There are 6.6 million students who get Pell grants to help them afford college, or enter the workforce, or further their careers, who would be impacted by the chaos of abolishing the department.”
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer said on the floor Monday that confirming McMahon “would be a slap in the face to students, parents, teachers who care about our public schools.”
“Americans believe in public education. They don’t want to see these cuts. They don’t want to see the Department of Education abolished,” said the New York Democrat, who also warned that cuts to federal funding for education could lead to higher state and local property taxes to fill the gap.
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