Department of Education (ED) Secretary-Designate Linda McMahon appeared before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Feb. 13. During the hearing, McMahon answered questions about federal student loan access, the cost of higher education, and the administration’s plans for the department.
In his opening statement, Chair Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.) expressed concerns about the burden of student loan debt, noting, “too many students leave college woefully unprepared for the workforce after being saddled with overwhelming debt they cannot pay off.” He further remarked, “Under the last administration, the Department of Education’s only answer was a transfer hundreds of billions of dollars.”
During this hearing, McMahon emphasized that it is not the administration’s goal to downsize or eliminate the Department of Education, but she does intend on improving its efficiency. Cassidy asked McMahon whether she agreed that downsizing or eliminating the department requires congressional approval. She replied that she thinks Congress could “get on board with” a better functioning department and acknowledged that such a move would “require congressional action.” In response to questions about whether states and localities will continue to receive their current levels of federal funding, McMahon replied affirmatively, noting, “it is not the president's goal to defund the programs, it is only to have it operate more efficiently.”
The committee is expected to hold a vote next week to move McMahon’s confirmation to the Senate floor.