Education Secretary Linda McMahon says mass layoffs are first step toward eliminating agency: Were not taking away education

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said massive layoffs Tuesday were the “first step” toward accomplishing President Trump’s goal of eliminating the agency — and insisted the cuts won’t affect educational programs. McMahon, during an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, was asked if the termination of nearly half of the department’s 4,000-person workforce was part of a broader plan aimed at a “total shutdown” of the federal agency. “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 Entertainment co-founder said the Trump administration understands that it will have to “work with Congress” to accomplish the president’s goal, but that Tuesday’s “reduction in force” plan is key to eventually abolishing the department.“What we did today was to take the first step of eliminating what I think is bureaucratic bloat,” McMahon said. McMahon, who led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term, said the department was mindful of keeping the “good people” at DOE in place so as not to interrupt funding for educational programs. “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 said. McMahon dismissed criticism from American Federation of Teachers head Randi Weingarten that Trump is planning on “getting rid of education” and “taking opportunities away from kids,” arguing that test scores will go up under the president’s plan.“Well, clearly we’re not taking away education,” McMahon said in response to the criticism from the teachers’ union boss.

“The president never said that.He’s taking the bureaucracy out of ed...