Education Secretary Linda McMahon Defends Trump Administration’s 2027 Education Budget Amid Senate Scrutiny

President Donald Trump’s 2025 order tasked Secretary Linda McMahon with dismantling the Education Department. The FY2027 budget request, released April 28, proposes $76.5 billion—$2.3 billion less than FY2026. Funding includes IDEA at $16 billion (up $539 million) with oversight shift to Labor or HHS; OCR at $91 million, a 35 percent cut and staff reduction to 271; TRIO and Gear Up at $6 billion slated for elimination; Pell Grants at $33 billion, an increase of over $10 billion; and a $1.7 trillion student-loan portfolio, with PSLF backlog at roughly 88,000 applications.

UsNews and World Report

Shifting IDEA oversight to Labor raises concerns that disabilities could be treated as health issues. OCR’s staffing cuts coincide with a 30 percent drop in discrimination complaints, leaving 20,000 students without resolution. Eliminating TRIO and Gear Up would cut a pipeline serving 800,000 students, despite evidence of college retention. The Pell-grant increase is praised, but it does not offset cuts to other aid like the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant.

HigherEd Dive

McMahon said, “shifting authority back to the states will not come at the expense of essential federal programs,” and promised that agency housing special-education programs would “still get the same treatment, the same funding.” She rejected the OCR cut proposal, stating “I’m not agreeing to that,” and pledged to hire lawyers. Senate Democrats noted a 30 percent OCR case-resolution drop, and Sen. Murray called special-education shift “a direct message … that their health is more important than their education.” Sen. Murphy called OCR cuts “a gross violation of the law,” and Sen. Shaheen demanded evidence that TRIO “are not successful.”

NPR

The administration says it will “bring back many lawyers,” yet the budget cuts OCR staff to 271. The proposal cuts OCR funding by $49 million, but McMahon called it a civil-rights increase. The department calls TRIO a failure, while bipartisan lawmakers cite higher retention data.

Jewish Insider

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

NPR

• “ "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.” — Sen. Patty Murray, D-WA

NPR

• “It’s like black is white, it’s a 35% cut you’re proposing,” — Sen. Chris Murphy, D-CT

Jewish Insider

• “I would hope that you would share with this committee the metrics that you have that show that these programs are not successful,” — Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH

HigherEd Dive

The FY2027 education budget requires Senate and House approval. Democrats plan a resolution to overturn the PSLF employer-restriction rule; Republicans will push Pell-grant and school-choice measures. The Senate Appropriations Committee will meet in May to consider OCR staffing and the fate of TRIO and Gear Up.

UsNews and World Report