At a House Education & Workforce Committee hearing on Wednesday, Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) spoke to Education Secretary Linda McMahon about her budget proposal.
00:00I will now yield to the ranking member, Representative Scott, for his opening statement.
00:06Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and good morning.
00:09I want to thank Secretary McMahon for joining us today to discuss the Department's priorities
00:14and the effect this budget will have on students, teachers, and families.
00:19Secretary McMahon, as Secretary of Education, you took an oath to oversee the Department of Education
00:26and uphold the Constitution.
00:29One of the missions of the Department of Education is to, quote,
00:33strengthen the federal commitment to ensuring access to equal educational opportunities for every individual.
00:40I take no pleasure in pointing out that in a month since this administration has taken office,
00:45you have been sworn in as the Department's Secretary.
00:48The actions taken by you, the unaccountable doge, and this administration generally have contradicted this mission.
00:57Some of the things that have happened, nearly 50% of the Department's workforce have been proposed to be fired,
01:04eliminating key roles that keep our nation's schools running and our students safe.
01:09Universities have been stripped of necessary grant funding, undermining the integrity of higher education.
01:15support for student loan borrowers has been reduced, and the key consumer protections have been threatened,
01:22and the Department of Education is being dismantled through the elimination of programs and offices without congressional approval.
01:30Thankfully, on May 22nd, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction and ordered the Department to reinstate the previously terminated employees.
01:39During today's hearing, I expect you to share with us specifically what steps you are taking to comply with that court order.
01:48Relatedly, we understand the Department has repeatedly delayed and denied the Department's Office of Inspector General access to requested documents,
01:57information, and staff to conduct a review related to the Department's recent workforce program and operational changes.
02:06Yesterday, I sent you a letter urging you to cooperate with the OIG in accordance with the law.
02:12It is my hope that because you have spoken to numerous news organizations about your plans to dismantle the Department,
02:18you will feel comfortable with sharing your plans with Congress and the OIG.
02:24For millions of Americans, we are struggling to understand how the actions you have taken at the Department to address learning gaps and improve academic outcomes for the nation's children.
02:36Simply put, if all of these positions are being vacated and resources are being cut for the sake of efficiency,
02:43then who is doing the work to ensure that the mission of the Department to strengthen the federal commitment to ensuring access to equal educational opportunity for every individual is being met?
02:55For example, another mission of the Department is to promote improvements in the quality and usefulness of education through federally supported research, evaluation, and sharing of information.
03:06And yet this administration has stopped the Institute of Educational Sciences from funding,
03:14and that organization supports research and collects data on education across the country to improve students' academic outcome.
03:24Congress uses this research to determine how it can save money and ensure resources are allocated only to effective programs.
03:32However, since you have halted research in the middle of their projects, much of their work is now useless to Congress,
03:41and that is the very definition of creating waste.
03:45Also, the Department has abdicated its responsibility to ensure that all students are afforded safe, quality, and equitable education,
03:52regardless of their race, gender, immigration status, socioeconomic status, and disability status.
03:59Under your stewardship, the Office of Civil Rights is implementing a radical reinterpretation of our civil rights laws that abandons its long-standing duties to investigate, monitor,
04:10and provide resources to victims of potential civil rights violations.
04:15As a result, students and parents with open civil rights cases are now left with no recourse and no insight as to the status of their cases.
04:24We've seen valuable programs such as Teacher Quality Partnership, Supporting Effective Educator Development,
04:31and Mental Health Grants, which have been supported through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act,
04:37canceled with no notice to states and no recourse to help support our nation's public schools.
04:43Furthermore, states are being denied reimbursement for COVID-19-related expenditures that the Department of Education had promised to pay.
04:52As this is in addition to the proposals, the Department's fiscal year 2026 budget to eliminate programs like Gear Up and TRIO,
05:02which provide support for low-income students and students with disabilities to obtain high school diplomas and prepare them for post-secondary education.
05:11There's also the matter of many red states calling for education block grants, a regressive and illegal proposal that would make it virtually impossible for the federal government to hold states accountable for providing all students with a high-quality education free from discrimination.
05:28And yet the Department's budget proposal requests that Congress grant you the legal authority to block grant several programs, a clear acknowledgment that you currently lack this authority.
05:41So we expect to hear from you today that you will deny the state's request to block grant without direct congressional authority.
05:49And more importantly, we want to hear expressly how you will hold states accountable for upholding students' civil rights.
05:56I'd be remiss if I did not note that the Department's fiscal year 2026 budget proposal would make it more difficult for students to enroll in and afford a college education by proposing reductions in funding to need-based grants such as Pell and work-study.
06:17This is achieved by removing staff who oversee federal student aid administration and oversight, forcing borrowers into unaffordable repayment plans and aggressively garnishing wages of low-income borrowers.
06:30Additionally, the budget proposes reducing the Department's workforce development programs by 33%.
06:37In sum, between the cuts to higher education and programs for alternative career paths,
06:43this budget proposal would leave this country's workforce behind rather than competing in the global economy.
06:51At the end of the day, it is the students of this nation who will suffer under this budget proposal.
06:56Students from low-income families and students with disabilities, English learners, international students, and students of color will face more hurdles accessing equal educational opportunity.
07:08And eliminating those burdens is the very mission of the Department of Education.
07:16So, regrettably, instead of investing in our children, your budget proposal would eviscerate vital, evidence-based educational programs in the offices of the Department as a means to attack programs promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
07:36So, your success in this job will come only if you adhere to the mission of the Department of Education, faithfully execute the laws, and uphold your oath to the Constitution.
07:47Regrettably, this proposed budget does not signal a path of success for America's students and families.
07:53That's why I'm urging you to reverse course in a call on my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to critically review this proposal and reject it.
08:03Democrats will not sit idly by while students are under attack.
08:07We will fight any and all attempts to dismantle the Department.
08:10And we will continue to stand up for students, parents, and families who are struggling.
08:15So, Madam Secretary, thank you for appearing today.
08:18We hope to get concrete and substantive answers from you.
08:21And with that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
08:25Thank you for tuning in.
08:32I will see you next time.
08:33I'll see you next time.
08:34OK?
08:35Perfect, thank you.
08:37And we'll be working on the other side of the floor and be doing this.
