 "Linda McMahon speaks during an America First Policy Institute gala at Mar-a-Lago estate, in Palm Beach, Fla. File Image / AP")
Education Secretary Linda McMahon will be the next cabinet pick of US President Donald Trump to face a showdown with lawmakers as she prepares for the Senate confirmation hearing. McMahon’s confirmation hearing is scheduled for Thursday at 10 am (local time) where she will try to defend her job in a department that Trump is eyeing to kill.
Last week, Trump said that he would like to issue another executive order to eliminate the Department of Education as he makes cuts in federal agencies and calls on Congress to “finish it off” with the department. Apart from the existence of the Department, McMahon is also likely to face questions about her lack of education experience.
McMahon’s confirmation hearing is coming while she has a lingering lawsuit from her professional wrestling days, questioning her qualifications. Apart from this, there are concerns that after assuming the role she might implement executive orders on gender issues and school choice.
The future of the Department of Education is at stake
Many are expected to question McMahon about the future of the department, which might be killed by the Trump administration soon. While Republicans have not voiced objections to McMahon’s bid as of now, Democrats and other critics of the former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) executive have raised their share of concerns.
“McMahon’s nomination is really concerning for us and for parents across the country because what we have heard from parents is that they want a strong public education system for our kids. They want our kids to feel safe in schools, and they want schools to be fully funded, and Linda McMahon doesn’t really have a track record of being an advocate for education,” said Ailen Arreaza, executive director of ParentsTogether.
Meanwhile, Senator Andy Kim, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labour and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Senator Elizabeth Warren sent a letter to McMahon on Tuesday asking dozens of questions they want her to be prepared to answer on Thursday.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsMost of these questions are related to ending the department, the student loan system and McMahon’s support of Project 2025. The Senators also questioned her little experience in the education sector and maintained that she only served a year on the Connecticut State Board of Education and multiple years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut.
“You have a minimal track record on education issues and strikingly little experience pertaining to education policy,” the Democrats wrote in the letter to McMahon, The Hill reported. “This lack of a public record means that the American people have not been allowed to evaluate your views on topics related to the Education Secretary’s core responsibilities,” they furthered.
‘Put yourself out of job’: Trump to McMahon
It is pertinent to note that the former WWE executive who served in Trump’s first administration, where she led the Small Business Administration, was tapped by the president-elect back in November. However, she was a surprise pick for those in the education field.
The concern became even more severe when Trump told reporters that he had spoken to McMahon about closing up the Department of Education and he told her to “put yourself out of a job” if confirmed.
However, it is important to note that completely eliminating a department would require an act of Congress. Republicans in both the Senate and the House have introduced bills to do so, but it is difficult to imagine a measure securing the 60 votes to defeat a Senate filibuster.