Impeachment Articles Introduced Against Education Secretary
Members of the U.S. Congress have put forth articles of impeachment targeting Education Secretary Linda McMahon, accusing her of illegally dismantling the Department of Education.
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) brought forward this measure on Thursday, claiming that McMahon misled Congress and criticizing her for transferring over 100 core programs and services to other agencies within the government.
Bonamici stated, “That’s completely beyond the limit,” as reported by ABC News after her speech on the floor. She emphasized, “We cannot unilaterally move programs that Congress has imposed on the Department of Education and put them somewhere else.”
The impeachment articles charge McMahon with “intentionally and systematically refusing to comply with the law,” as well as making false statements to Congress.
In a reaction to Bonamici’s remarks about the impeachment proposal, McMahon responded, “Democrats in Congress, please try harder,” as noted by ABC.
The secretary further expressed:
This reflects how House Democrats think that impeachable offenses could somehow enhance student performance or lessen federal bureaucracy. They shouldn’t be weighed down by the ongoing issues in our education system, such as historically low test scores, mishandling of the FAFSA form, schools closing due to COVID-19, parents labeled as terrorists, and boys being allowed in girls’ locker rooms.
Recently, the Department announced its plan to shift responsibility for special education services and civil rights to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ), respectively.
McMahon reassured parents, stating that this move would enable these agencies to function more efficiently.
The list of Democratic co-sponsors backing the impeachment initiative continues to expand, according to ABC. This marks the first time a Cabinet member in the Trump administration faces impeachment.
However, pursuing impeachment and a potential conviction is a complex process for Congress. Supporters require a majority vote in the Republican-led House and a two-thirds majority in the Republican-dominated Senate for a conviction.
