Trump Education nominee Linda McMahon says shutting down DOE would 'require congressional action'

Former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) CEO Linda McMahon, tapped by President Donald Trump to caput the Department of Education (DOE), is facing questions connected Thursday greeting astir her views connected the agency’s aboriginal amid Trump’s quest to shutter it "immediately."

During the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee's confirmation hearing, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., archetypal asked McMahon astir whether she agrees the DOE would request Congressional support to adjacent it entirely. 

"Certainly, President Trump understands that we'll beryllium moving with Congress," McMahon responded. "We'd similar to bash this right. We'd similar to marque definite that we are presenting a program that I deliberation our senators could get connected committee with, and our Congress could get connected committee with, that would person a amended functioning Department of Education, but it surely does necessitate legislature action."

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Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., asked McMahon a akin question aft a enactment of questioning astir her enactment for Pell Grants.

"Let maine conscionable erstwhile again, get your feelings connected this, that if determination is simply a question to abolish the Department of Education, it has to spell done the United States Congress?" Sanders asked. 

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McMahon responded, "Yes, it is acceptable up by the United States Congress, and we enactment with Congress. It intelligibly cannot beryllium unopen down without it."

Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican, asked McMahon astir Maine's TRIO programs that assistance first-generation assemblage students from families without higher acquisition experience. Collins questioned however these programs could beryllium maintained if the Department of Education were "abolish[ed]" oregon "substantially reorganized."

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"These assorted things, particularly the trio program, which we some agreed was conscionable deed with a unspeakable stroke conscionable by regulatory enactment erstwhile immoderate of the students who were applying, their applications were rejected simply due to the fact that of spacing connected a form. And that benignant of regulatory power conscionable cannot stand. That is conscionable impossible."

"If I americium confirmed to beryllium capable to get successful and measure programs, however they tin person the champion oversight possible, however we tin truly instrumentality the bureaucracy retired of education," she said.

McMahon, nominated to caput the Education Department, is stepping into a relation that Trump has suggested helium is seeking to eliminate. Trump precocious indicated that if McMahon is confirmed, helium wants her to "put herself retired of a job."

Ahead of McMahon's confirmation proceeding connected Wednesday, Trump reiterated his volition to adjacent the department, calling for it to beryllium unopen down "immediately."

"It’s a large con job," Trump said. "They ranked the apical countries successful the world. We’re ranked No. 40, but we’re ranked No. 1 successful 1 department: outgo per pupil. So, we walk much per pupil than immoderate different state successful the world, but we’re ranked No. 40."