The Senate HELP Committee advanced McMahon’s nomination to the Senate floor in a 12-11 party-line vote. The vote comes just one week after McMahon appeared before the panel where she explained President Donald Trump’s plans for the future of the Education Department. “If confirmed Ms. McMahon has the tall task of reforming a Department of Education that has lost its purpose. For the last four years, the department focused on everything but student learning with bureaucracy and red tape standing in the way of student success,” Senate HELP Chair Bill Cassidy said. "We need a strong leader at the department who will get our education system back on track." “Ms. McMahon demonstrated a strong vision for the Department of Education,” the Louisiana Republican added.
Linda McMahon, President Trump’s pick for Education secretary, passed the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Thursday morning, sending her confirmation to the full Senate. The HELP panel voted 12-11 along party lines to approve McMahon and send her nomination to its final hurdle. She is almost certain to be confirmed, as no Republicans have made any public objections to her nomination, and more controversial Trump picks who originally drew pushback have gone on to clear the upper chamber.
McMahon testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee during her confirmation hearing last week, when she was grilled on recent spending cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), potentially dismantling the DOED and Title IX. "We need a strong leader at the department who will get our education system back on track," Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said ahead of the committee vote. "Mrs. McMahon is the partner this committee needs." On Thursday, the committee voted to advance the nomination of McMahon for Education secretary to a full Senate vote. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., spoke in opposition to her nomination during the vote on Thursday. "I like her personally. I respect the work she has done in building a large and successful business. But I think the main point that has to be made at this particular point in history is that it really doesn't matter who the secretary of education or the secretary of labor is, because those people will not be calling the shots," Sanders said, taking aim at President Donald Trump during his remarks.
