DeVos testifies on Trump’s budget, her first time before Congress since rocky confirmation hearing
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Education Secretary Betsy DeVos traveled to Capitol Hill on Wednesday morning to testify about the Trump administration’s proposed budget, her first public appearance before Congress since her rocky confirmation hearing in January.
DeVos is tasked with explaining a spending plan that has drawn criticism from both ends of the political spectrum.
Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), chairman of the House education appropriations subcommittee, opened the hearing Wednesday with praise for DeVos’s efforts to expand charter schools. But he said he would have questions about the administration’s proposals to dramatically cut college financial aid programs such as work-study and college-access programs for low-income students — “which, frankly, I will advise you,” Cole said, “I have a different point of view on.”
President Trump has proposed slashing $10.6 billion from federal education initiatives, including after-school programs, teacher training and career and technical education, and reinvesting $1.4 billion of the savings into promoting his top priority: School choice.
The administration is also seeking far-reaching changes to student aid programs, including elimination of subsidized loans and public service loan forgiveness and a halving of the federal work-study program that helps college students earn money to support themselves while in school.
Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.)
[Trump’s first full education budget: Deep cuts to public school programs in pursuit of school choice]
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, called the administration’s spending proposal “cruel to children,” while Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), ranking Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said the budget proposed by Trump and DeVos “slashes funding for public schools to fund their DeVos testifies on Trump’s budget, her first time before Congress since rocky confirmation hearing - The Washington Post:
