Secretary McMahon Defends Proposed Education Department Budget

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education, defending the President’s skinny budget for FY 2026. Discourse surrounding the proposed dismantling of the Department of Education drove the hearing as McMahon began her testimony by acknowledging her role in the “final mission” of the department. While the majority of the commentary focused on K-12 issues, there were a few recurring higher-education related themes that emerged.

In his opening statement, Subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt (R-AL) heavily criticized the current state of the federal student loan program, as well as the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness policies, a view that several other committee Republicans members expressed throughout the hearing. He spoke positively about the Pell Grant program, stating, “In higher education, there are bright spots with bipartisan support, such as Pell Grants, which help lower-income students pay for college.”

In her opening statement, Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) said, “Your vision for students aspiring to access and pay for college is particularly grim: you take away need-based financial aid for 1.7 million students, and you eliminate Federal Work Study opportunities for more than 500,000 students who need it to help finance their education.” Rep. DeLauro also highlighted the importance and value of the SEOG program.

Generally, the Republican majority on the subcommittee praised McMahon for her work eliminating “waste, fraud, and abuse” within the Department. Several members also highlighted their concerns with antisemitic protests and foreign influences on college campuses.

On the Democratic side, members sought an explicit promise from McMahon that funds appropriated by Congress would be spent accordingly.

In an instance of bipartisan unity, Representatives Mike Simpson (R-ID) and DeLauro both criticized the administration for describing programs such as TRIO and GEAR UP as “relic(s) of the past.” Congressman Simpson called these programs “one of the most effective programs in the federal government” and urged the Secretary to maintain them. Congresswoman DeLauro echoed this statement, questioning the secretary’s basis for claiming that these programs are no longer necessary.

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Olivia Lattanzi