In Linda McMahon’s telling, any effort to unravel the Department of Education would be done meticulously, with a careful study of the agency’s programs, and in concert with Congress. Her desire is to audit programs for efficiency and success, she said at her confirmation hearing in front of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
Throughout the hearing, senators repeatedly reminded her that Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s cost-cutting teams had beaten her to some of this work. Efforts to shut down parts of the agency are already underway without her at the helm — and without Congress’ involvement, senators said.
The Department of Government Efficiency has reportedly begun slashing through parts of the Department of Education. It ended contracts within Education’s Institute of Education Sciences, which performs education research and evaluation of the Department of Education, cut grants and fired staff.