On Feb. 13, Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Education, testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. McMahon, co-founder of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and former head of the Small Business Administration, faced rigorous questioning regarding her qualifications and policy positions.
McMahon handled questions on myriad topics, ranging from school choice to student loan forgiveness and the Administration’s Executive Orders. When asked about the authority to close the Department of Education (ED), McMahon acknowledged that any effort would require approval from Congress. However, she seemed to support at least some of the recent activities from the Department of Government Efficiency at the agency and relocating programs to other agencies, noting “the bottom line is, because it’s not working.” She also stated, “I do think it’s worthwhile to take a look at the programs before money goes out the door,” and noted she would have to review activities once she was confirmed.
A highlight of the hearing for our community was McMahon’s support for CTE. She said, “Our workers deserve more postsecondary pathways, career-aligned programs, apprenticeships and on-the-job learning.” McMahon added that she would like to strengthen secondary CTE programs and see more dual-credit programs offered at high schools that would count toward community college and other institutions. “Our vocational and skilled-based training is not a default education; it can be front and center so that students who are inclined to go in that direction actually should be encouraged to do that,” she said.
On Pell Grants, McMahon voiced her support for expanding Pell Grants for short-term training programs. “I’d like to see short-term certificates for Pell grants for students who aren’t going on to four-year universities, who could have the opportunity to use Pell grants for skilled-based learning,” she said. She added that short-term Pell would stimulate the economy by providing an opportunity for anyone who wants to participate in skill-based learning and get into the workforce faster.
The HELP Committee will vote on the confirmation on Feb. 20. If the committee approves the nomination, then a vote by the full Senate will come next.
A recording of the hearing can be found here.
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