WASHINGTON — A Senate committee has taken a significant step by voting Thursday to support Linda McMahon’s nomination as education secretary under President Donald Trump, bringing her one step closer to leading an agency that Trump has expressed interest in eliminating.
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions approved her nomination with a narrow 12-11 vote split along party lines, paving the way for the full Senate to deliberate on her appointment.
During her confirmation hearing, McMahon stated her intention to “reorient” the Education Department. Although Trump has voiced his desire to abolish the agency since his campaign, McMahon recognized that such a move requires congressional action.
“We’d like to make sure that we are presenting a plan that I think our senators could get on board with,” McMahon remarked.
Asked about the agency’s key initiatives, McMahon assured that Trump aims to enhance their efficiency rather than eliminate funding. She proposed that certain aspects could be transitioned to other federal departments, suggesting a transfer of the education department’s civil rights responsibilities to the Justice Department.
Additionally, McMahon committed to maintaining federal Title I funding for low-income schools, Pell grants for financially disadvantaged college students, and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program—all initiatives originating from Congress.
Conversely, she indicated that federal financing would be withdrawn from educational institutions that disregard Trump’s directives concerning transgender athletes in women’s sports, antisemitism on campuses, and initiatives focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion nationwide.
McMahon’s responses to inquiries regarding Trump’s order to eliminate DEI programs raised concerns among Democrats. When asked if classes in African American history could lead to federal funding losses, she admitted uncertainty and expressed the need for further investigation.
McMahon, a billionaire and former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, possesses less educational experience compared to her predecessors. She served a brief tenure on Connecticut’s board of education in 2009 and has been a trustee at Sacred Heart University. Since departing from WWE, she has unsuccessfully run for a U.S. Senate seat in Connecticut on two occasions.
While Republicans largely supported her nomination during the hearing, Senator Lisa Murkowski from Alaska voiced concerns that Trump might pressure McMahon to exceed her jurisdiction and interfere with local educational governance.
Reports indicate that the White House is contemplating an executive order that would instruct the education secretary to dismantle the Education Department while urging Congress to completely disband it.
Even in the absence of such an order, the Trump administration has already terminated or suspended over 100 Education Department staff members, and various contracts have been annulled by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
The most recent reductions, announced late Wednesday, involve $226 million in grants aimed at enhancing school performance and instructional quality, especially for the most disadvantaged students. According to a release from the Education Department, the program has been accused of promoting “race-based discrimination and gender identity ideology.”