The Senate confirmed that Linda McMahon will lead the Department of Education with 51-45 votes on Monday.

Controversy over the future of the department has been promoted Vote The party’s boundaries as a pledge that President Donald Trump would abolish it, and McMahon’s support for his goal, raised concerns among many Democrats.

The department was founded in 1979 and oversees public school funding, programs for low-income students, and manages student loans. Trump first said he would abolish the department on social media video In September 2023, “One other thing I do very early in my administration is to close the Department of Education in Washington, D.C., and send all my education and education jobs and needs back to the state.”

Trump advocated that education should be handed over to the state amid worsening test scores, training DEI teachers and cancelling student loans during Biden-era student loans, despite the Supreme Court’s ruling against loan exemptions in August 2024. Trump, the month after the court’s ruling repetition His stance on the campaign trails was, “I always say that, I want to go back to do this, and I will eventually eliminate the Federal Department of Education.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who voted against confirming McMahon, said her reservation for the new department head has been born, according to support for Trump’s plan to dismantle the department.

“She answered a letter to Senator Kim. [Democratic New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim] And I say she absolutely agreed to close the Department of Education,” Warren said following McMahon’s sticky vote on Thursday. “It’s bad for students. It’s bad for the entire education system.”

Democrat Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly also had reservations regarding the appointment of McMahon’s Education Secretary, asking, “Does that department still exist?”

“The biggest problem I have with the Department of Education is Donald Trump’s plan to get rid of it and her commitment to doing it. And that’s the problem,” Kelly said after McMahon’s Clojure voted. “Children around the country, especially those with learning disabilities and other issues, are dependent on it. This seems like a huge mistake they are trying to make.”

McMahon is known for her role in the creation of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) along with her ex-husband Vince McMahon. She left WWE in 2009, pursued her interest in education and served on the Connecticut State Board of Education for a year.

McMahon later decided to run for Connecticut Senate seats in the 2010 and 2012 elections, but instead became a campaign donor after losing both races. She has donated over $7 million Political Action Group It supported Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016 and was nominated for his Cabinet, where he served as secretary for small business management from 2017 to 2019.

I also have McMahon Provided by Since 2019, as chairman of the American First Policy Institute, she has helped parental rights, school choice, and state and district administration of education. She opposed policies such as political indoctrination in schools and governments.

I would like to thank my family and friends who stood by my side during the hearing yesterday, and to everyone who supported me on this journey.

I look forward to serving President Trump’s administration soon as the next Secretary of Education. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/zdg7okk9nb

– Linda McMahon (@linda_mcmahon) February 14, 2025

Former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who served during Trump’s previous administration, also has a sense of dismantling the department, writing that while the idea has become “a bit radical,” the department actually exacerbated the state of education in America.

“That idea of ​​President Donald Trump’s commitment to moving forward may sound a bit radical,” she wrote for the Free Press. “I spent four years inside as Secretary of Education and struggled to get departmental bureaucracy to make the smallest changes to make the most of the student needs, so I can conclude that American students will be better.” (Related: Department of Education must remove school policies nationwide or lose federal funds) warning)

When the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee voted for McMahon for the full Senate on February 20, Republican Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy referenced McMahon’s experience with the SBA. Expression His support for her confirmation.

“She successfully led a large organization for decades, first as a businessman, then as director of the small business administration in President Trump’s first term,” Cassidy said. “Through the nomination process, McMahon gave a strong vision for the Department of Education. She has committed to empowering her parents and giving back to the nation and the community. It is perfect for meeting the needs of students.”

After voting for McMahon to advance to the full Senate vote on Thursday, South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham said, “I like her!”

“She’s smart. She has the ears of President Trump. I feel she’s the right person to rebuild education,” Graham said. The Department of Education knows he’s unhappy with Republicans, so she’ll be a good person to fix and fix it. ”

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