U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon had to face heated questions about her cuts and changes to programs in her department.
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) grilled McMahon for plans to shift programs for special education and disabled students to other agencies, like the Department of Labor and Health and Human Services. Murray told McMahon that the move has left parents “spitting mad, because they want to ensure their child with a disability has an education,” according to a reportby WJCT News.
“Moving [special education] out of the department is not only undermining that,” Murray said, “but it’s a direct message to them that their health is more important than their education.”
McMahon was on Capitol Hill for her first testimony in nearly a year, WJCT reported, to talk about her proposed budget and restructuring of her department.
Oregon Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley was upset that under McMahon, about 88,000 borrowers of student loans are waiting to find out if they qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness as she seeks to move oversight of the program to the Treasury Department.
“My staff tells me that it’s often nine months to a year before my constituents get a substantive response,” Merkley said. “We currently have over 70 constituents waiting just in our office for answers about their applications.”
McMahon downplayed the delays and how much of a problem it is.
“Is it confusing for a minute? Of course,” she said. “But I believe we are making really good progress.”
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