Senate Hearing on FY2027 Education Funding

On April 28, 2026, Education Secretary Linda McMahon testified before the Senate LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee on the FY 2027 Education Department budget, fielding questions on cuts to special education, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), TRIO and other programs.

Watch: Baldwin Slams Trump Admin Plan to Dismantle the Dept. of Education, Undermine Students and Local Schools

The FY 2027 request follows President Trump’s 2024 executive order to shift education authority to states and reduce Department size, framed as returning control to families and eliminating fraud, waste and abuse.

UsNews and World Report

Secretary McMahon; Republican senators John Kennedy (LA) and Shelley Capito (WV) backing school-choice; and Democratic senators Patty Murray (WA), Chris Murphy (CT), Tammy Baldwin (WI) and Jeanne Shaheen (NH) questioning special-education, OCR and loan-forgiveness policies.

NPR

The FY 2027 plan trims the budget by $2.3 billion. It allocates $16 billion to IDEA (up $539 million) and considers moving oversight to Labor or HHS. OCR faces a $49 million cut (35 % from $140 million). TRIO’s $1.2 billion budget for 800,000 students may be eliminated. Pell Grants receive $33 billion, a $10 billion rise. Title I stays level; student-loan aid adds $10 billion, while Public Service Loan Forgiveness reports ~88,000 pending applications.

NPR

McMahon asserted that the department has examined each dollar of federal spending to ensure it advances clear pathways to student success. She said the IDEA funding increase would not jeopardize services, declined the proposed OCR reduction, and noted a $10 billion increase for Pell Grants. She also expressed openness to TRIO reform while maintaining Title I funding.

UsNews and World Report

Senators Murray, Murphy, Baldwin and Shaheen warned moving special-education to Labor or HHS would reclassify disabilities as health issues, eroding educational rights. Murphy cited a 35 % OCR cut and a case of a restrained autistic student. Baldwin flagged a $6 billion K-12 cut shifting costs to states and families. Shaheen noted Public Service Loan Forgiveness backlog conflicts with the department’s 45-day response pledge.

NPR

US News reports a $33 billion Pell Grant total with a $10 billion increase, while NPR mentions only the $10 billion boost, leaving the base amount unclear. OCR’s cut is described both as a $49 million reduction and as a 35 % cut from $140 million, creating ambiguity. Hiring OCR lawyers and finalizing IDEA oversight remains unspecified.

Jewish Insider

A rule set for July will tighten eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and Congress is slated to consider the OCR funding cut and TRIO’s future during the upcoming appropriations markup.

UsNews and World Report

• "We've been clear. Shifting authority back to the states will not come at the expense of essential federal programs." — Linda McMahon, Education Secretary

NPR

• "Moving [special education] out of the department is not only undermining that, but it's a direct message to them that their health is more important than their education." — Patty Murray, Senator (Washington)

NPR

• "I'm not agreeing to that." — Linda McMahon, Education Secretary

NPR

• "It's like black is white! It's a 35% cut — you are proposing." — Chris Murphy, Senator (Connecticut)

Mediaite