Education Secretary Defends Department Dismantling in House Hearing

On May 14, 2026, Education Secretary Linda McMahon testified before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Lawmakers debated whether to sunset the U.S. Department of Education, how to reassign its programs, and the impact on students and civil-rights enforcement.

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President Donald Trump campaigned on eliminating a “$3 trillion failed federal education bureaucracy.” Since his 2025 inauguration, the workforce fell from roughly 4,200 to 2,300 employees, over 100 programs moved to other agencies, and the student-loan portfolio shifted to the Treasury.

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Key participants were Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Bobby Scott (D-VA), Randy Fine (R-FL), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Mark Takano (D-CA).

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Office for Civil Rights lost about half its staff, leaving 247 employees on paid administrative leave at an estimated cost of $28.5-$38 million; Office of Federal Student Aid is hiring 334 staff. One Big Beautiful Bill Act caps graduate borrowing at $20,500 per year and $100,000 total.

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McMahon framed the dismantling as a shift of authority to parents, teachers and local leaders, saying program transfers will be “co-administered” with other agencies. Republicans praised the cost-saving approach; Democrats warned the changes threaten civil-rights enforcement and leave special-education oversight unresolved.

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Democrats argued the department remains a civil-rights institution and that its erosion could worsen shortages in teaching, social work and nursing. They highlighted lack of a decision on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and questioned whether loan caps will lower college prices.

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• No final decision on where IDEA services will reside.

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• Paid-leave cost estimates for OCR staff range from $28.5 million to $38 million, reflecting imprecise accounting.

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• The effect of graduate-loan caps on tuition pricing has not been measured.

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• “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.” — Linda McMahon, Education Secretary

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• “The Trump administration has not returned education to the states, rather it has empowered you to effectively dismantle one of the country's strongest civil-rights institution.” — Bobby Scott, D-VA

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• “I hope you’re the last secretary of education.” — Randy Fine, R-FL

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• “Do you plan to transfer the services to another agency? Yes or no.” — Suzanne Bonamici, D-OR

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The administration plans to launch “Make Education Great Again” grants, consolidating 17 programs into a $2 billion block grant. Congress is expected to hold follow-up hearings on IDEA oversight and to review the proposed 35 percent budget cut for the Office for Civil Rights.

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