Department of Education in limbo amid Linda McMahon’s confirmation hearing

President Trump’s Schooling Secretary nominee Linda McMahon will seem earlier than the Senate Committee on Well being, Schooling, Labor and Pensions on Thursday as the way forward for the company that she may doubtlessly lead hangs within the stability. 

Mr. Trump has lengthy teased the opportunity of closing the Division of Schooling, however he might be nearer to creating good on his pledge. Since taking workplace, the president has signed a number of education-related executive orders and multiple sources confirm he is considering executive action that would dismantle the agency. This week, Division of Authorities Effectivity, or DOGE, chief Elon Musk additionally slashed practically $1 billion in funding from the division and terminated dozens of contracts and grants associated to variety, fairness and inclusion.

“Oh, I might prefer it to be closed instantly,” Mr. Trump informed reporters on the White Home on Wednesday. “Look, the Division of Schooling is a giant con job.”

Forward of her testimony, McMahon has met with no less than 19 Senators, from GOP management to members of the HELP committee, together with Chair Invoice Cassidy, who mentioned the pair had a “productive” dialogue.

“She is ready to return energy to folks and reform an Schooling Division that has misplaced the plot over the past 4 years of the Biden administration,” Senator Cassidy posted on X.

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an unbiased who serves as rating member on the panel, joined union members from the Nationwide Schooling Affiliation and American Federation of Lecturers who rallied towards McMahon’s nomination outdoors of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. 

“We perceive that public training is the spine of American democracy the place all of our individuals come collectively to study and to develop,” Sanders informed the gang. “Our job is to not destroy public training, it’s to considerably enhance it!”

Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Andy Kim of New Jersey despatched a letter to McMahon questioning her expertise and coverage views.  

“You could have a minimal observe document on training points and strikingly little expertise pertaining to training coverage,” the senators wrote. “This lack of a public document implies that the American individuals haven’t been afforded the chance to guage your views on subjects associated to the Schooling Secretary’s core duties.”

McMahon, the previous World Wrestling Leisure CEO who served as administrator of the Small Enterprise Administration throughout Mr. Trump’s first time period, has mentioned she is “dedicated” to making sure college students have entry to high quality training. 

“I stay up for working collaboratively with college students — educators — mother and father and communities to strengthen our training system; making certain each little one no matter their demographics is ready for a vivid future,” McMahon mentioned in an announcement after she was nominated by Mr. Trump final November.  

Congressional Democrats have seized on Mr. Trump’s threats to get rid of the Schooling Division, as some Home members have been bodily locked out of the company’s Washington, D.C., headquarters after they tried to satisfy with Performing Schooling Secretary Denise Carter final week. 

“It is essential for us to permit the Division of Schooling to proceed to do its work,” Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries mentioned throughout a weekly information convention. “That is the guts, soul and spirit of America.  For the lifetime of me, I can not perceive why Republicans wish to abolish the Division of Schooling. It is baffling to me. It is baffling to the American individuals, and we’ll proceed to defend our public faculties.”

Even when Mr. Trump strikes ahead with an govt order, authorized and training consultants say congressional motion could be wanted to completely get rid of the Division of Schooling. 

Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota launched laws final 12 months that outlines a street map to abolish the Schooling Division and return management to the states. It might additionally redirect different federal businesses to supervise sure features similar to Pell grants and particular training. 

Shortly after Republicans took management of each chambers in January, Republican Rep. Tom Massie of Kentucky launched a one-sentence invoice to terminate the company by the tip of 2026. Democratic Rep. Jahana Hayes of Connecticut, the 2016 Nationwide Instructor of the Yr, has launched a countermeasure to guard the Division of Schooling.

“We won’t take away alternative for therefore many kids,” Hayes mentioned. “We won’t get rid of Pell grants and all of the applications that assist individuals from low-income communities to go to school.”

“I believe, because the American individuals start to know, ‘Oh, wait a minute, I did not understand that is what this meant,’ and that is throughout all of the departments, I believe that there is going to be public outcry and pushback,” Hayes added, referencing Mr. Trump’s desired cuts to the federal authorities.

However Home Speaker Mike Johnson has declared “the time has come” to disband the Schooling Division and mentioned Congress ought to codify the president’s govt order, if enacted.

“We consider within the core precept that training is finest dealt with by the individuals closest to the youngsters,” Johnson defined. “What does that imply? It means native college districts, native college boards. It means on the state stage fairly than the federal stage. We expect you empower mother and father once you do this. We give them extra selection once you do this. In order that’s why we’re advocates for college selection. That is why we’re advocates for constitution faculties and modern concepts. And I believe you’ll be able to return American training to a spot of prominence and success when you permit these issues to occur.” 

President Jimmy Carter signed laws in 1979 establishing the Division of Schooling. Federal funding accounts for lower than 10% of the nation’s public college funding, which is generally financed via state and native taxes. The company, tasked with fostering pupil achievement, additionally administers applications for deprived college students and people with particular wants, enforces non-discrimination insurance policies in faculties and helps federal faculty mortgage applications.

Nikole Killion

Nikole Killion is a CBS News congressional correspondent primarily based in Washington D.C. As a correspondent, Killion performed a key function within the Community’s 2020 political and election protection, reporting from across the nation through the remaining stretch of the marketing campaign and all through the Biden transition.