Jonathan Roman | Staff Writer
Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon testified to the House education committee earlier this month. During a heated hearing, McMahon defended the sweeping changes to the department and sparred with Democrats on the committee, over the Trump administration’s proposed budget and plan for the department.
President Trump is pushing Secretary McMahon to fulfill a campaign promise of ‘dismantling’ the Department of Education. Back in March 2025 Mr. Trump, flanked by students, during the signing of the order, directed his Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to “close” the department. Despite signing the order, only Congress has the ability to dismantle the department.
Yet, a year after Mr. Trump signed the March executive order, Secretary McMahon has attempted to limit the scope of the department as much as possible. The agency is functioning with reduced staff and setting new drastic changes. In March Secretary McMahon announced that nearly 50% of the agency staff was laid off.
Last year, McMahon began the largest restructuring of the agency, announcing six of the agency’s offices were moved to four other federal agencies. McMahon has shifted focus from dismantling the department to phasing it out.
In another shift, the agency announced a major transition of the federal student loan portfolio. The federal Student Loan Portfolio, will now officially be under the U.S. Treasury Department in August. In a March letter, McMahon wrote: “For too long, Americans have shouldered the consequences of poor leadership and persistent mismanagement of our federal student aid portfolio. Today’s actions reclaim integrity and accountability for you, the American people.”
Additionally, the employees who handle the major portfolio of the DOE will be physically moved from the DOE headquarters in Washington D.C. to the Treasury Department, a block away from their current headquarters.
Ms. McMahon defended the moving of the workers stating “It is the same people from the Department of Education that are at the Department of Labor, it’s dealing with the same people that you’ve known at the Department of Education that are located somewhere else.”
When Secretary McMahon testified to the House Education Committee, she began by saying: “The American people elected President Trump with a clear mandate: to sunset a 46-year-old, $3 trillion failed federal education bureaucracy in Washington, D.C, and return authority to where it belongs, to parents, teachers, and local leaders,” McMahon said. Florida Representative Randy Fine of Florida said: “ I hope you’re the last secretary of education.
The key point is that education policy and curriculum have always been under the control of the state government, and the DOE’s main functions as an agency include the distribution of federal funds to schools, overseeing student aid, and enforcing civil rights laws that protect students with disabilities.
Notably, McMahon has not moved the offices responsible for overseeing programs and funding for students with disabilities, partly due to the backlash from disability rights advocates and organizations. McMahon addressed the concerns during the hearing, stating she met with disability groups over their concerns. McMahon has looked into the possibility of moving some functions of the disability programs to the Department of Labor, or Health and Human Services.
The Office of Civil Rights in the DOE was marked by major layoffs, and firings earlier last year. McMahon chose to keep around 247 OCR staff on paid administrative leave, after a judge intervened. McMahon reaffirmed during the hearing that the “OCR is important” and affirmed she plans to rehire attorneys to the offices.
Democratic Rep. Mark Takano, pressed Ms. McMahon on the cuts to the OCR. and her comments on “rehiring attorneys” and stated that those cuts to the OCR happened before she took over the agency, saying the administration “had started that process before I came on board.”
Rep. Takano pushed back stating: “They were firing half the staff that you need at the OCR, and it took you 10 months to figure out that was a mistake.” Takono pushed back and asked why Ms.McMahon is proposing a 35% cut in funding to the office.
Ms McMahon replied that the budget document: “Is a floor for hiring. We want to increase those numbers.” According to NPR the Office of Personnel Management stats show the Department of Education employees have gone from 4,200 employees in 2024 to 2,300 in 2026. This is because more changes are set to happen at the department.
people that you’ve known at the Department of Education that are located somewhere else.”
When Secretary McMahon testified to the House Education Committee, she began by saying: “The American people elected President Trump with a clear mandate: to sunset a 46-year-old, $3 trillion failed federal education bureaucracy in Washington, D.C, and return authority to where it belongs, to parents, teachers, and local leaders,” McMahon said. Florida Representative Randy Fine of Florida also said, “ I hope you’re the last secretary of education.”
The key point is that education policy and curriculum have always been under the control of the state government, and the DOE’s main functions as an agency include the distribution of federal funds to schools, overseeing student aid, and enforcing civil rights laws that protect students with disabilities.
Notably, McMahon has not moved the offices responsible for overseeing programs and funding for students with disabilities, partly due to the backlash from disability rights advocates and organizations. McMahon addressed the concerns during the hearing, stating she met with disability groups over their concerns. McMahon has looked into the possibility of moving some functions of the disability programs to the Department of Labor, or Health and Human Services.
The Office of Civil Rights within the DOE was marked by major layoffs, and firings earlier last year. McMahon chose to keep around 247 OCR staff on paid administrative leave, after a judge intervened. McMahon reaffirmed during the hearing that the “OCR is important” and affirmed she plans to rehire attorneys for the offices.
Democratic Rep. Mark Takano, pressed McMahon on the cuts to the OCR and her comments on “rehiring attorneys.” McMahon stated that those cuts to the OCR happened before she took over the agency, saying the administration “had started that process before I came on board.”
Rep. Takano pushed back stating: “They were firing half the staff that you need at the OCR, and it took you 10 months to figure out that was a mistake.” Takano pushed back and asked why McMahon is proposing a 35% cut in funding to the office.
McMahon replied that the budget document: “Is a floor for hiring. We want to increase those numbers.” According to NPR the Office of Personnel Management stats show that the Department of Education employees decreased from 4,200 employees in 2024 to 2,300 in 2026. This is because more changes are set to happen at the department.
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