Senate HELP Committee favorably reports McMahon nomination to full Senate, 12-11
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Summary
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions voted 12-11 to favorably report the nomination of Ms. McMahon to be secretary of education after an often partisan hearing that included debate over the Department of Education’s role and federal education funding.
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions voted 12-11 to favorably report the nomination of Ms. McMahon to be secretary of education, sending the nomination to the full Senate for consideration.
Committee chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, opened the hearing by praising Ms. McMahon’s private-sector experience and her leadership at the Small Business Administration, saying she is “the right person for the job” and urging colleagues to support the nomination.
Senator Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator, delivered a formal opposing statement, saying he would vote no. “I rise in opposition to miss McMahon. I like her personally. I respect the work she has done in building a large and successful business,” Sanders said, but added that broader concerns about concentration of executive power undercut the committee’s choice. Sanders and other senators opposing the nomination emphasized the Department of Education’s role in distributing federal resources and enforcing civil rights protections for students.
Senator Hassan, U.S. Senator, urged support for maintaining a strong federal role in education and criticized proposals to dismantle or sharply reduce the agency’s responsibilities. Hassan said the Department of Education is responsible for civil rights enforcement, Title I funding and research and data that support 26,000,000 children in high-poverty school districts, “nearly 10,000,000 children enrolled in rural schools,” and Pell Grants to about 7,000,000 low-income students.
Other senators offered brief remarks for and against the nominee. One senator who spoke in favor argued current national test scores and stagnant outcomes justify significant change and said she would vote yes. Several senators noted personal or family ties to public school teaching while explaining their votes.
The committee recorded 12 ayes and 11 nays. The clerk announced the tally and the chairman said, “The ayes have it. The nominations agreed to will be favorably reported to the Senate,” and the committee adjourned.
No formal amendments or conditions were added to the committee’s favorable report; the transcript shows a straight recorded vote and no subsequent committee direction or referral beyond reporting the nomination to the full Senate.