McMahon's Missteps During Senate Hearing
Education Secretary Linda McMahon faced an embarrassing moment during a Senate hearing on Tuesday, repeatedly providing incorrect information about her agency. Democrats on the appropriations subcommittee grilled McMahon regarding the department's budget request, which has been significantly reduced under President Donald Trump's second term. Both Trump and McMahon have vowed to shut down the department and return education to the states. The overall budget proposes a reduction of $4 billion, bringing the department's funding to nearly $76 billion.
Office for Civil Rights Under Scrutiny
Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) pressed McMahon specifically on funding for the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which handles discrimination allegations in public schools. OCR has long been understaffed and overwhelmed, inheriting 12,000 pending cases when Trump took office. The administration's efforts to reduce the federal workforce hit the Education Department hard, leading to more than half of OCR staff losing their jobs. Between March and September 2025, OCR received 9,000 complaints, with 7,000 dismissed without resolution.
McMahon claimed the office was addressing the backlog: "We are moving to resolve as many cases as we can. We are bringing back many of those lawyers which were part of that RIF," referring to the "reduction in force." Murphy expressed skepticism: "You fired half the office." When McMahon replied, "That's hindsight," Murphy questioned her response. McMahon snapped back, "You know perfectly well what it is. In this budget, we have more money to hire more lawyers." Murphy corrected her: "No, this budget proposes a 35% reduction to the Office of Civil Rights." McMahon doubled down, saying, "But it is a budget of increasing dollars for Civil Rights, and we are hiring." However, the budget actually proposes $91 million for OCR—a 35% decrease of $49 million from the previous year—with no mention of hiring funds.
Murphy pressed for agreement on facts: "Let's just agree to the facts. You agree that this budget proposes reducing the office by 35%." McMahon refused: "No, I'm not agreeing to that. Here's what I'm saying: We are bringing back lawyers. We are hiring new lawyers to address this backload." The Department of Education did not respond to HuffPost's request for comment.
Confusion Over Program Relocations
Earlier in the hearing, Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) questioned McMahon about plans to move certain programs to other departments. Trump announced a year ago that programs for students with disabilities would shift to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). McMahon touted the proposal as cost-saving and streamlining, but critics argue it aims to dismantle the Education Department, which requires congressional approval to eliminate. Murray noted that parents in her state are deeply concerned about housing special education under HHS. Previous program transfers have been problematic, with other departments struggling to distribute funds and communicate with schools.
When asked about the status of moving programs, McMahon said, "Well, currently, we are still evaluating where those programs would best be located. We have not made that determination yet." Murray argued that such moves have hurt and confused students and are illegal without congressional approval. McMahon objected: "Well, I just have to object to your framing of this. First of all, it is not against the law." She dismissed concerns about other departments' readiness, stating, "And, secondly, these parents need to understand that regardless of which department these programs are located, they will still get the same treatment, the same funding."
