President Donald Trump's choice for educational secretary went for the Senate, where she was confronted with heavy grilling about the plans of the administration to dismantle the department she would lead.
Linda McMahon was tapped to lead the educational department, because Trump and billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government efficiency (doge) put it in their visor.
Trump has called on the Ministry of Education being closed for years. On Wednesday he said he wanted to close it 'immediately' and called it a 'con job'.
On Thursday, McMahon appeared before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (Help) Committee for its confirmation hearing where it was confronted with a barrage of questions about the plans of the administration and the future of the department.
“So doe, there are a few implants at the Ministry of Education as there are agencies throughout the district,” McMahon revealed Thursday.
“They do an audit,” she claimed.
It came as an answer to questions from Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) Who asked for what she would do if Trump or Musk said that they would not spend no money that the congress has directly assigned.
“We will certainly spend those dollars that the congress has passed, but I think it is worth watching the programs before money goes out,” said McMahon.
President Trump's choice for educational secretary Linda McMahon appears for the Senate Assistance Committee for her confirmation hearing on Thursday 13 February
Murray asked McMahon if she believed that doge should have access to private student data, but McMahon has not rejected their access downright.
“I understand that DOG employees are on board as employees of the Ministry of Education, which is why they work under the limitations of using access to information, and they are limited,” McMahon claimed.
Murray pushed back on the Doge -employee making access to legislators who do not know who they are 'and giving access to the private information of students should' scare everyone '.
Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) Cited Trump in which the department was called to be closed immediately and a job.
He claimed that 'waste, fraud and corruption is a code for cutbacks in public education' and stated Doge who goes through the educational department 'simply stands for the education department.'
Markey asked McMahon to connect to ensure that money is not reduced from public education to pay tax benefits for the rich.
She pushed back that the administration is trying to find waste, fraud and abuse and said to her understanding of doge officials in the department looking at competing contracts with bidding.
'Let's see where that money is going. How is it spent? “Said McMahon.
During her opening statement, McMahon noted the decrease in mathematics and reading scores in the US and argued that the country could do better.
She claimed that the problems were caused by the 'excessive consolidation of power' in the education system and argued for the financing of 'educational freedom' instead of government systems, Listen to parents about politicians and empowerment of states.
She did not immediately tackle the effort to close the department in its prepared comments, but emphasized Trump's vow to return education to the States.
But attempts to conclude or reduce the education department were top of the head for several legislators.
Senate Assistance Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) Asked Point Blank if she believed that a congress would cost to close the education department.
McMahon said they want a plan “Certainly requires conference action.”
She claimed that the goal is not to defend education, but to make it run more efficiently.
“I am really completely in favor of the president's mission, namely to return education to the States,” she claimed.
Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) asked how they would maintain administration and supervision of educational programs if they 'abolish or reorganize the Ministry of Education'.
McMahon said that programs would be appropriated by the congress, and noted that they are currently going to the State Education departments before they were districted to districts.
“We are not looking for defundering or reducing one of those amounts,” she sustained.
McMahon also said that the individuals with disabilities (idea) are treated in the same way, but she suggested that it might be better served in another agency, and claims that she is not sure.
She also argued that the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) in the Education department can also be better served at the Ministry of Justice, but again said she was not sure.
Linda McMahon led the Small Business Administration during the first term of Trump. She acknowledged that it would cost an act of the congress to close the education department, but the goal of Trump to “support” education to the States “
A demonstrator wearing a shirt that calls for the protection of public schools is removed after disrupting the hearing
At another point, Senator Maggie Hassan (DN.H.) said that the entire hearing felt 'a bit surrealistic' and that it was almost as if they were “subjected to a very elegant gas light.”
The Senator referred to when McMahon had talked about the need to force the protection of Jewish students at university campuses, but she pointed out that Trump wants to eliminate the department where that would take place.
During the hearing there were several disturbances with protesters who shouted for protecting public schools and vulnerable young people, including immigrants and transgender young people.
