US education secretary Linda McMahon testifies before the Education Committee and employees in the USA on Wednesday, June 4, 2025.
Washington – Education Secretary Linda McMahon took heat from the Democrats from the American Education and Working Form on Wednesday regarding the initiatives of the Trump administration, which has radically reviewed the federal role in education and eliminating the education department.
The legislators aimed at the budget request of President Donald Trump for the budget at 2026-which includes $ 12 billion for expenditure cutting-and also efforts to demolish the agency and threat to jerking funds for schools that exploit the practices of conscious races in various aspects of student life.
Department abstract He said that the cut “reflects the agency that ends responsibly.”
Chairman Tim Walberg, Republican Michigan, praised McMahon’s efforts.
“We believe in reducing bureaucracy, trusting our teachers, trusting our state and local leaders, and trusting innovators who strive for barriers thrown out by bureaucracy,” he said. “And above all we trust our parents – this is our vision and fortunately we finally have an administration that divides this vision.”
But a representative of Bobby Scott, a member of the panel ranking, blew up the department’s priorities, including a budget proposal, which, as he said, will “make it difficult for students to sign up and permission to develop higher education, proposing to limit the financing of subsidies on the basis of needs such as Pell and Labor Studies.”
“At the end of the day, students of this nation will suffer based on this budget proposal,” said Democrat Virginia. “Students from low -income families and disabled students, English students, foreign students and color students will have to encounter more obstacles in terms of equal educational possibilities.”
The budget requires the elimination of key programs managed by the education department for students in an adverse situation and low income, including Federal Trio programs and gaining early awareness and readiness for bachelor’s studies or equipment.
The budget application also proposes an augment of $ 60 million to augment the number of charter schools in the country and reduce almost 1700 USD from the maximum amount that the student can receive every year via Pell-Government Pell-Dotation subsidies, which helps low-income students to pay for studies.
Federal judge in Massachusetts in may transfer administration Main failure to your educational program, ordering the agency to restore more than 1300 employees gutted during the reduction of strength effort, Blocking the department from Trump’s order to close the department and prevent the department transfer Portfolio of student loans and special educational services for other federal agencies, while the matter questioning these principles are pending.
On Wednesday, the Federal Court of Appeal maintained the decision of the judge.
Lesson plans
On Wednesday, democrats sought administration efforts against programs of diversity, justice and integration or Dei. The administration was trying Bar schools from the exploit of dei practices As part of aspects of student life, to continue to receive federal funds, efforts that many federal judges blocked.
Rep. Summer Lee from Pennsylvania said that Trump’s administration “undoubtedly revived the culture of racism, which we have not seen since the time of Jim Crow”, adding that “they explained that they have explained that open attacks on black and brown and other marginalized communities are not only tolerated, but encouraged.”
Asked by Lee if the lesson plan on the Tulsa massacre would be considered “illegal Dei”, McMahon replied: “I would have to contact you.”
Then Lee asked McMahon if she knew what the massacre in Tulsa Race was, to which the secretary said: “I would like to look at it more and contact you.”
McMahon was similarly necessary in the question of assigning the desegregation icon of the Ruby Bridges school.
State flexibility
The budget proposal also requires consolidation of 18 subsidies for K-12 education and replacing them with one formula subsidy program, which, according to administration, will ensure the elasticity of expenditure.
Democrats at Wednesday’s audition blew up the administration’s pursuit of the return of education “back to the States”, noticing that some states have needy education records.
Rep. Yassamin Ansari said that the education system “absolutely disappoints” many students in the United States. The main reason for this, as the Democrat said in Arizona, was that many states “miserably inspired” their public education systems, and not, as the administration claimed, because of the “too large” federal supervision or Dei policy.
Asked by Ansari what risk of McMahon weighed for public schools and universities, if federal funding of education was gutted or transferred to states, the secretary said that “federal education would not necessarily be gutted” and that “there would be more money to go to the States without the bureau of the Education Department.”
Ansari rejected this claim, noting that some states, including her, have “fatal achievements in the field of education management.” She pointed to the low Arizona rankings on public education, teachers’ salaries, test results and the highest attitude of students to teachers in the country.
