Education Secretary Linda McMahon made unexpected remarks in a nonpartisan spirit at a House Democrats press conference on Wednesday, but she didn't respond when she forced the time the Department of Education closed.
McMahon stopped by a Democrat press conference outside the education department building. She has pledged to dismantle President Donald Trump's recent executive order. In advance, she met with Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif) with at least 10 other Democrats to discuss concerns about the recent layoffs. The division announced last month that it began cutting force missions, affecting almost 50% of its workforce.
“I want to express my gratitude to all of these people who came today, so we can have an open discussion about what we can do in our country, and what we believe is education for young people,” McMahon said Wednesday. “As Representative Takano said when we were closing the meeting, I thought this was incredibly appropriate. It's not a partisan issue. It's about American children, and the next generation that followed.
Linda McMahon says the Trump administration won't punish states that refuse to adopt school choices
Education Secretary Linda McMahon will be attending the International Women's Courage Awards Ceremony at the State Department in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
“And I know the president believes this too. The best education is that it's the best way to do it is that it's a child and the local supervisors who are parents and the local school boards work together to develop the curriculum for those students,” she said. “Funding from the US government continues through already established programs. I look forward to continuing to work with Congress members on both sides of the aisle, and I welcome these people to come today and express their concerns, share, share, share, and how they can guide their concerns.
As McMahon concluded his remarks and tried to return the event to the Democrats, Takano interfered with the secretary's questioning.
“When will this building be closed?” he asked her in front of the news camera.
“Well, we've already been discussing, so thank you guys,” McMahon said. He left the podium and returned to the building.
Rep. Mark Takano of D-Calif will appear at the House Democrats 2025 meeting at Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Virginia on March 13th. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, Getty Images)
Ministry of Education was significantly dismantled by a new Trump executive order
“As you see, when she closes the Ministry of Education, she's not answering questions,” Takano told reporters. “Now she has no plans. And she has no plans, but they continue to look at firing people, cutting back, cutting back on RIFs, cutting back on their strength.”
Takano told reporters during their meeting that McMahon had expressed “ambiguity” about when she would carry out Trump's campaign promise to close the Department of Education. He said she vowed to consult appropriate laws.
Takano also said McMahon at the Senate confirmation hearing that he would consult Congress as long as she would be “lighting” for the department.
Congress established the Ministry of Education in 1979, and in most cases it must approve the dismantling. Republicans have surfaced the law to achieve that goal.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon will speak with reporters at the White House in Washington, D.C. on March 20th. (AP Photo/Ben Cartis)
Trump signed the executive order on March 20th, expanding the division significantly while maintaining some of its core functions. It was unclear whether the department would continue to manage its $1.6 trillion federal student loan portfolio, as the language of orders allows banking capabilities to be transferred to better entities. Privacy appears to remain on the table for the administration.
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“The secretary has had to say multiple times that she was carefully searching for what the law could do for her before moving department functions to other departments and elsewhere,” Takano said Wednesday. “It's refreshing information that the secretary relayed to us all, and we certainly hope she sticks to what she said to us today.”
“I think part of today's story is something you know, [the] The president's campaign to close the sector is a lot of fluff. the. It can't, that's illegal. He cannot do that by law,” he added.
