In a fiery hearing Tuesday, U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon defended her work dismantling the very department she leads, with Senate Democrats saying the results have made life harder for parents and students. McMahon's first appearance on Capitol Hill in nearly a year was intended to unpack the White House proposal on education spending for the 2027 fiscal year — and gave senators a chance to take stock of McMahon's actions.
Some Republicans, including Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy, cheered McMahon's changes, like her push for expanding school choice, while many shared the concerns of their Democratic counterparts about proposed cuts to TRIO, a group of federal programs that help disadvantaged students get into and through college.
In one testy exchange, Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington asked why parents must now contact more than one federal agency for services that were once solely provided by the Education Department.
McMahon retorted that she disagreed with Murray's characterization and said that regardless of which agencies federal education programs are housed in, parents will "still get the same treatment, the same funding."
Here are some of the key issues raised at the hearing:
On federal spending for special education
The Trump administration's budget proposal includes $16 billion for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a federal law that guarantees students with disabilities a "free appropriate public education." That's one area where the department is proposing to boost spending by $539 million over last year.
"We've been clear. Shifting authority back to the states will not come at the expense of essential federal programs," said McMahon of the requested increase.
Yet McMahon has also pledged to shift supervision and enforcement of IDEA to other agencies as a part of its effort to dismantle the Education Department, a move many special education advocates oppose.
When asked about those efforts, McMahon said while her team is still making a final decision, the departments of Labor and Health and Human Services are two potential homes for special education. To that, Murray said she has heard from parents and advocates who are "spitting mad, because they want to ensure their child with a disability has an education."
"Moving [special education] out of the department is not only undermining that," Murray said, "but it's a direct message to them that their health is more important than their education."
Advocates argue that placing special education in HHS would categorize students' disabilities as a health concern instead of focusing on ensuring they receive a high-quality, equitable education. McMahon pushed back and promised that no matter where special education programs are housed, students would be treated the same way as before.
On protecting students' civil rights
The other key office at the Education Department that ensures schools follow federal disability law is the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The department fields a range of discrimination complaints from students, including on the basis of race, sex and national origin. But those involving students with disabilities have historically made up the largest share of its investigations.
The new budget proposes slashing OCR funding by 35%. But McMahon said, "I'm not agreeing to that," in response to questions from Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat.
Murphy said he was dismayed by the proposed cut, citing the story of a student with autism who had been restrained and secluded at her school. OCR was investigating the case until McMahon was sworn in and the local field office was shut down, Murphy said.
In March 2025, the administration fired more than half of OCR's lawyers and staff. At the time, McMahon said the cuts reflected the department's commitment to "efficiency" and "accountability." The office also shut down seven of 12 regional OCR offices.
Yet, at the hearing, McMahon denied responsibility for the staff cuts and the sharp decline in investigations into disability discrimination. "Well you fired half the department," pressed Murphy, to which McMahon responded, "That is hindsight."
McMahon promised that her department was working to hire more lawyers to work through a backlog of thousands of cases.
As the hearing came to a close, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Democrat from Wisconsin, yet again pointed out that the Education Department's proposed budget would cut $49 million from OCR. McMahon suggested being open to changing that number.
On programs for low-income students
TRIO programs got a lot of air time at the hearing. Almost every Democratic member of the committee brought them up, as did GOP senators Susan Collins of Maine, Mike Rounds of South Dakota and John Boozman of Arkansas.
The group of federal programs, aimed at low-income and first-generation students, are designed to help bridge the gap to college for these students. Some of the programs date back to 1965 and still serve over 800,000 students nationwide each year.
TRIO has long had bipartisan support and its $1.2 billion budget is seen as a good return on investment. But McMahon argued that according to the program's own metrics, TRIO is a failure. After continued questioning, McMahon said the administration is open to reforming the program, likely by moving away from college readiness and increasing opportunities for workforce training. Several senators opposed the idea.
"I do understand and I support passionately the career technical education programs," said Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat. "But we already have those programs. Let's enhance those programs that are working, not convert this program, which serves a very different function."
Spending on Title I, a federal program that sends additional dollars to schools with many students from low-income families, would stay the same under the proposed budget: "It's level funded so that folks can understand that we're not in any way impacting that or asking for any kind of reduction," McMahon said.
The administration's proposed budget also asked for an increase of $10 billion for federal Pell Grants, which help high-needs students pay for expenses related to college. Some members, including committee chair Shelley Capito of West Virginia, praised the move; others felt it did not go far enough.
On student loans
Senators also questioned McMahon about the $1.7 trillion in student loans managed by the federal government and the tens of thousands of borrowers who are behind on their payments. Many borrowers are in limbo as the Education Department shifts oversight to the Treasury Department.
Merkley brought up how some 88,000 borrowers are waiting to qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) buyback program, a process the department says should take 45 days.
"My staff tells me that it's often nine months to a year before my constituents get a substantive response," Merkley said. "We currently have over 70 constituents waiting just in our office for answers about their applications."
After qualified public servants make 10 years of payments, PSLF forgives their student loans. McMahon acknowledged the delays and expressed the need to find a long-term solution but didn't offer what that could be.
Millions of other borrowers are also in limbo, after a generous Biden administration repayment plan some borrowers used was found to be illegal. A new plan for these borrowers is set to roll out in July, but McMahon acknowledged the rocky path to this point.
"Is it confusing for a minute? Of course," she said. "But I believe we are making really good progress."
Education Correspondent Cory Turner contributed to this story.
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