Senate Questions Linda McMahon on Efforts to Dismantle ED and the Future of Higher Education Funding
By Maria Carrasco, NASFAA Staff Reporter
Members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Thursday heard directly from Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of the Department of Education (ED), on her work experience, beliefs on higher education funding, and more, amid news reports that the administration wants to dismantle the agency.
The confirmation hearing, led by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), chair of the Senate HELP Committee, focused on McMahon’s career as a former wrestling executive and former head of the Small Business Administration. McMahon also served on the Connecticut State Board of Education in 2009. During her opening remarks, McMahon touched on a wide range of challenges facing the American education system. In the higher education space she specifically cited concerns with rising college costs and government bureaucracy.
“What's the remedy? Fund education freedom, not government-run systems,” McMahon said. “Build up careers, not college debt. Empower states, not special interests. Invest in teachers, not Washington bureaucrats. If confirmed as Secretary, I will work with Congress to reorient the department toward helping educators, not controlling them.”
During his opening remarks, Cassidy said ED’s “status quo” is not working, and that costs are outpacing the value of a college degree in higher education. He stressed that under Trump and McMahon’s leadership, real change could be made in education across the country,
“The educational system is failing our children,” Cassidy said. “The Biden-Harris Department of Education stood in the way of student success. Transformative change of the educational establishment is needed. The department needs to get out of the way of states and local communities who are best positioned to actually address students' needs.”
However, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), ranking member of the Senate HELP Committee, noted that while members of the committee may be focused on lowering federal spending, he stressed the importance of ED’s work, including the federal Pell Grant program.
“[ED] provides Pell Grants and other important financial assistance that over 7 million low income students need to get a higher education,” Sanders said. “So the goal is not to abolish the Department of Education, it is to make it more effective and to make sure that it addresses the educational needs in this country. … We need a Secretary of Education who understands that in the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, we should have the best educational system on this planet, from child care to graduate school.”
A key discussion point at McMahon’s hearing was Trump’s pending executive order that could dismantle ED.
When questioned about whether Trump has the authority to unilaterally close the department, McMahon said that Congressional action would be needed in order to abolish ED. She also said that Trump will work with Congress to develop legislation to promote a “better functioning” department.
Further, McMahon said, Trump’s goal is not to defund the programs that ED manages, but rather to have those programs operate more “efficiently.”
Multiple senators pointed to news reports of moves the Trump administration has made to cut funding at ED. Members cited Elon Musk, head of Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE),” slashing almost $900 million in contracts with ED’s Institute of Education Sciences, along with Trump’s directive – which ultimately was rescinded – that aimed to freeze federal financial assistance programs.
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, asked McMahon what she would do if Trump or Musk told ED not to spend money that Congress has already appropriated to the department.
“We will certainly expend those dollars that Congress has passed,” McMahon said. “But I do think it is worthwhile to take a look at the programs before money goes out the door. It is much easier to stop the money as it's going out the door than it is to claw it back.”
Murray also expressed concern over DOGE’s access to private student data — which has been halted by a legal filing — and said it should “frighten everyone” that the data could be used to jeopardize student privacy.
McMahon said it was her understanding that members of DOGE have been onboarded as employees of ED and are, therefore, operating under the restraints of utilizing information access.
Another point of discussion was the federal Pell Grant program. Sanders asked McMahon if she could guarantee that no student would lose their Pell Grant if ED is dismantled. McMahon said defunding the Pell Grant program is “not the goal,” and she’d like to see Pell Grants expanded to short-term programs.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) questioned McMahon on overseeing the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, and whether McMahon will continue to fully implement the program. McMahon said ED will honor PSLF and other loan forgiveness programs created by Congress.
The Senate HELP Committee will officially vote to advance McMahon’s nomination to the floor on Thursday, February 20. Stay tuned to Today’s News for updates on McMahon’s confirmation vote next week.
Publication Date: 2/14/2025
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