WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats in Congress largely withheld judgment Wednesday about the election of President-elect Donald Trump Linda McMahon as his candidate for Secretary of Educationeven as they expressed concerns about Trump’s plans to dismantle the department.
In interviews on Wednesday, Democrats in the U.S. Senate largely did not raise the kind of objections to McMahon — the co-chair of Trump’s transition team, head of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term and former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment — that they did had done other cabinet selections.
Senator Tim Kaine, who sits on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, called Trump’s choice “somewhat troubling.”
But the Virginia Democrat praised an editorial McMahon wrote for The hill It expressed support for expanding Pell Grant eligibility to include short-term workforce education programs.
“This is something I’ve been pushing for for a long time, and it’s something I will definitely talk to her about at a nomination hearing,” Kaine told States Newsroom.
HELP Committee Democrats Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, John Hickenlooper of Colorado, Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico and Tina Smith of Minnesota were noncommittal about their vote on McMahon’s confirmation.
“I don’t know much about her, but I’d be interested to hear what she says,” Hickenlooper said.
Baldwin said she would assume the Senate’s advisory and consent role on the nominee “when the time comes.”
Luján compared McMahon to Trump’s other Cabinet members.
“It is also similar to his other recommendations that concern many of my Republican colleagues who will be in the majority.”
Smith said she “can’t really say anything about that… other than to say that it’s his job to put forward the candidates he wants for that job.”
“And my job is to vet them thoroughly to ensure that they have the necessary qualifications and are fully prepared and ready to enforce the laws of the country,” she added.
Agenda is cause for concern
If confirmed, McMahon would play a key role Education agenda that Trump promotedincluding the complete abolition of the department.
Trump’s promise to abolish the department is unlikely to gain enough support in Congress.
Kaine said Trump “won’t get the votes for it — not even among Republicans.”
And the process of abolishing the 45-year-old agency could create a number of logistical and legal complexities for the billions of dollars the agency provides, particularly for low-income K-12 schools, special education and federal student aid.
But the policy agenda has raised more concerns among Democrats than McMahon’s nomination.
Rep. Bobby Scott, ranking Democrat on the House Education and Workforce Committee, said he would wait to make a decision on McMahon’s nomination until it has been fully vetted by the Senate because she does not have a long history in education.
“However, I strongly oppose President-elect Trump’s education agenda, which seeks to abolish the Department of Education, eliminate funding for low-income and rural K-12 schools, eliminate school meal expansion, and make it harder for students to borrow have to pay back their loans,” said the Virginia Democrat.
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, ranking member of the House Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee, said in a statement to States Newsroom that she is “wrestling over how (McMahon) will run the Department of Education if Donald Trump plans to do so.” to eliminate.” ”
“Schools across the country, including in rural communities, rely on federal funding to meet the needs of their students, particularly low-income students and students with disabilities,” the Oregon Democrat said.
Alex Floyd, the Democratic National Committee’s crisis response director, said in a statement Wednesday that Trump “wants to defund the Department of Education and send our tax dollars to his ultra-wealthy billionaire supporters – like Linda McMahon.”
“McMahon was already a disaster at the Small Business Administration, so it’s no wonder Trump chose her to lead a department he is determined to destroy,” Floyd said.
Report: McMahon lied about his educational background
Lawmakers raised few objections to McMahon’s relatively narrow experience in education policy, even after one Washington Post reported Wednesday that McMahon claimed in a questionnaire for a seat on the state Board of Education that she had a bachelor’s degree in education, which she did not have.
McMahon served on the Connecticut Board of Education for just over a year and was a member of the Board of Trustees of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut.
She is also the board chair of the America First Policy Institute, a pro-Trump think tank. In his announcement, Trump said that during his tenure as CEO, McMahon was a “fierce advocate for parents’ rights and worked demanding at both AFPI and America First Works (AFW) to achieve universal school choice in 12 states and give children the opportunity “To give parents the opportunity to receive an excellent education, regardless of zip code or income.”
GOP response
Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress, including House Education Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, praised Trump’s decision.
The North Carolina Republican said in a news release Wednesday that McMahon is “a fighter who will work tirelessly to serve students – not the so-called elite institutions, the teachers unions or the federal bureaucracy.”
Sen. Bill Cassidy, ranking Republican on the Senate HELP Committee, said in a statement that McMahon’s experience leading the SBA “can obviously be helpful in leading another agency.” The Louisiana Republican said he looked forward to meeting with her.
North Carolina Republican Senator Ted Budd, who also sits on the HELP panel, told States Newsroom that McMahon is “highly qualified” and I look forward to the trial.
Last updated on November 20, 2024 at 5:19 p.m
