Training Secretary Linda McMahon stated huge layoffs Tuesday have been the “first step” towards undertaking President Trump’s objective of eliminating the company — and insisted the cuts received’t have an effect on academic applications.
McMahon, throughout an interview with Fox Information host Laura Ingraham, was requested if the termination of practically half of the division’s 4,000-person workforce was a part of a broader plan geared toward a “total shutdown” of the federal company.
“Yes – actually, it is,” the 76-year-old responded.
“That was the president’s mandate,” McMahon added. “His directive to me clearly is to shut down the Department of Education.”
The World Wrestling Leisure co-founder stated the Trump administration understands that it should “work with Congress” to perform the president’s objective, however that Tuesday’s “reduction in force” plan is vital to finally abolishing the division.
“What we did today was to take the first step of eliminating what I think is bureaucratic bloat,” McMahon stated.
McMahon, who led the Small Enterprise Administration throughout Trump’s first time period, stated the division was conscious of holding the “good people” at DOE in place in order to not interrupt funding for academic applications.
“We wanted to make sure that we kept all of the right people, the good people, to make sure that the outward facing programs, the grants, the appropriations that come from Congress, all of that are being met and none of that’s going to fall through the cracks,” she stated.
McMahon dismissed criticism from American Federation of Academics head Randi Weingarten that Trump is planning on “getting rid of education” and “taking opportunities away from kids,” arguing that take a look at scores will go up underneath the president’s plan.
“Well, clearly we’re not taking away education,” McMahon stated in response to the criticism from the lecturers’ union boss. “The president by no means stated that. He’s taking the paperwork out of schooling in order that more cash flows to the states.
“Better education is closest to the kids … I think we’ll see our scores go up with our students when we can educate them with parental input as well,” she argued.
On Tuesday, the DOE laid off 1,315 workers that have been “redundant or not necessary for the functioning of the department,” in keeping with a senior official.
The terminations add to the practically 600 staffers who had already left the company after accepting buyouts and the 63 probationary workers, with lower than one 12 months of service on the job, who have been fired final month because the Trump administration works to streamline the company.
“We have to identify where the bloat is, where the bureaucracy is, and we’re going to start there, because the programs, so many of the programs are really excellent,” McMahon stated.
“We need to make sure that that money does get to the states, but we want more money to be able to go to the states,” she added. “And that’s what the president has said all along – If we get rid of the bureaucracy the states will get more.”
