Linda McMahon, President Trump’s pick for the Department of Education, will have her confirmation hearing on Thursday. Democrats are expected to question her about Trump’s wish to shut down the whole department. Trump repeated his idea on Wednesday, saying, “I’d like it to be closed immediately.” He believes the Department of Education is not useful.
If the department were to close, it would require Congress’s approval, where many Republicans want to give control back to local schools. Even though Trump wants to shut down the department, he and other Republicans want to look into sports programs in schools and check how transgender athletes compete.
Democrats plan to ask McMahon about the administration’s moves to cut efforts for diversity and inclusion. They will also ask her views on school choice, funding for schools in low-income areas, and money for the school lunch program.
While Democrats can ask tough questions, they can’t stop McMahon from being confirmed because Republicans hold a majority in the Senate. So far, no Trump nominees have been blocked, including members of his Cabinet like Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Republicans might also ask McMahon about teacher unions, her thoughts on prayer in schools, and the federal student loan relief that the Biden administration started but Trump rolled back last month.
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