Trending Now - Mcmahon Advocates for Overhauling Education Bureaucracy in Trump Era

WHO:

[NPR] - U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Rep. Bobby Scott (Democrat, Virginia), Rep. Randy Fine (Republican, Florida), Rep. Mark Takano (Democrat, California), Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (Democrat, Oregon), Rep. Elise Stefanik (Republican, New York).

WHAT:

[NPR] - McMahon defended the Trump administration's budget proposal and the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education.

[NPR] - The Department of Education's staff has been cut from approximately 4,200 employees in 2024 to 2,300 in 2026, a reduction of roughly 45%.

[NPR] - More than 100 programs and obligations have been offloaded to other federal agencies, including elementary and secondary education programs to the Department of Labor and family engagement efforts to the Department of Health and Human Services.

[NPR] - The Office of Federal Student Aid is attempting to hire 334 new staff after previous cuts.

[NPR] - The Trump administration's new limits on federal student loan borrowing cap annual borrowing for most graduate students at $20,500, with a total limit of $100,000.

[NPR] - The proposed MEGA (Make Education Great Again) grants would consolidate 17 current programs into a block grant worth $2 billion, down from approximately $6.5 billion.

WHERE:

[NPR] - The hearing took place on Capitol Hill.

[NPR] - The Department of Education's headquarters is located in Washington, D.C.

WHEN:

[NPR] - By August, remaining Department of Education employees will be moved to a smaller office roughly a block away from the current headquarters.

[NPR] - The new federal student loan limits were passed as part of the Republicans' One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

WHY:

[NPR] - McMahon stated that the American people elected Trump with a mandate to dismantle a "46-year-old, $3 trillion failed federal education bureaucracy" and return authority to parents, teachers, and local leaders.

[NPR] - McMahon argued that the new loan limits are intended to force colleges to lower their prices and address the "exorbitant" costs of college.

HOW:

[NPR] - McMahon indicated that the management of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) may be transferred to either the Department of Labor or the Department of Health and Human Services.

[NPR] - McMahon mentioned that the administration is actively rehiring attorneys for the Office for Civil Rights after significant staff cuts.

(UPDATED May 15, 2026 06:15 UTC)

U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon defended Trump’s budget proposal during a hearing on Capitol Hill, highlighting a significant reduction in the Department of Education's staff from about 4,200 employees in 2024 to just 2,300 in 2026. She emphasized that the administration aims to dismantle what she described as a "46-year-old, $3 trillion failed federal education bureaucracy," while also introducing new federal student loan limits that cap annual borrowing for most graduate students at $20,500. By August, remaining employees will be relocated to a smaller office nearby, as the administration continues to consolidate programs and transfer management responsibilities to other federal agencies.