Secretary McMahon Discusses Budget Proposal on Capitol Hill
On Wednesday, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies to discuss the Department of Education’s (ED) budget proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. She outlined ED’s new priorities: literacy, school choice, and shifting education oversight to the states. In her opening remarks, she described ED as being on its “final mission,” emphasizing her goal to close the agency.
Much of the discussion centered on this proposed closure, with some Republicans supporting the plan, citing a desire to return control to state governments. Democrats strongly opposed the idea, raising concerns about the lack of federal oversight and emphasizing that much of the decision-making power, including curriculum decisions, is made at the state and local levels. However, they noted that key civil rights protections, for example, are conducted at the federal level, including upholding the rights of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities.
McMahon highlighted literacy efforts, pointing to gains in states like Louisiana and Mississippi and touting the science of reading. To advance “school choice,” she highlighted the proposed increase in funding for charter schools in ED’s “skinny” FY 2026 budget request, which was released last month. However, several aspects of her “skinny budget” remain unclear, including plans to consolidate 18 K-12 programs into a new K-12 Simplified Funding Program, described as a “block grant,” and combining seven special education programs into the Special Education Simplified Funding Program, with details still lacking. She assured lawmakers the proposal would not cut funding for Title I Part A or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Full details of the budget are expected to be released in the coming weeks.