https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKQq-nyC2sU
Merkley SLAMS Trump Ed. Secretary McMahon for Gutting Student Programs: “Profoundly Disturbing”
Jun 4, 2025
Senator Merkley questioned Secretary of Education Linda McMahon about gutting critical college-support and financial aid programs for first-generation college students during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on June 3, 2025.
Transcript
MICROMANAGE.
THAT WAS NOT PROVIDED TO YOU BY
THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS.
CHAIR CAPITO: SENATOR MERKLEY.
SEN.ERKLEY: WANTED TO ECHO
SENATOR COLLINS SUPPORT.
YOU WANTED ACCOUNTABILITY.
YOU THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD
HAVE BENCHMARKS THEY ARE SEEKING
TO ADDRESS?
SEC. MCMAHON: WE NEED TO HAVE
BETTER ACCOUNTABILITY.
SEN. MERKLEY: LIMITED TIME.
BENCHMKS WOULD BE USEFUL?
MAY BE AN ANNUAL REPORT?
SEC. MCMAHON: ACCOUNTABILITY,
YES.
WE DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO
TRACK THAT.
SEN. MERKLEY: ACTUALLY THOSE ARE
SET NOW AND EACH ONE HAS TO DO
AN ANNUAL REPORT.
HAVE YOU READ THEM?
SEC. MCMAHON: I HAVE NOT READ
THEM ALL.
I HAVE ALSO SAID THAT --
SEN. MERKLEY: LET ME FINISH, IF
I CAN.
YOU SAID THERE IS NO
ACCOUNTABILITY.
I JUST POINTED OUT THAT TWO OF
THE THINGS YOU WANT TO SEE WHICH
ARE BENCHMARKS AND PERFORMANCE
REPORTS ARE ALREADY DONE.
IN ADDITION, THE PEL INSTITUTE
BLISHED A RECENT SUMMARY OF
FOUR STUDIES THE DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION DID ON FOUR OF THESE
EIGHT PROGRAMS.
HAVE YOU LOOKED AT THOSE?
SEC. MCMAHON: I HAVE NOT.
SE MERKLEY: THAT BOTHERS ME
FOR YOU TO COME BEFORE US TODAY
AND SAY THERE NEEDS TO BE
ACCOUNTABILITY AND YET, THERE IS
ACCOUNTABILITY AND IT SES LIKE
COVER STORY FOR SAYING WE
DON'T WANT TO HELP BLUE-COLLAR
KIDS MAKE INTO COLLEGE.
I MUST TELL YOU, MOST OF MY
COLLEAGUES HERE, THEY ARE NOT
BLUE-COLLAR KIDS.
I AM.
I KNOW HOW HARD IT WAS TO MAKE
THE LEAP INTO COLLEGE.
I KNOW THE DIFFICULTY OF THE
CULTURE.
WHEN YOU GREW UP IN HIGH SCHOOL
AND YOU NEVER TALK TO ANYBODY
ABOUT GOING TO COLLEGE.
YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT'S
ALL ABOUT.
THOSE PROGRAMS HAVE RESULTED IN
6 MILLION STUDENTS GRADUATING
THROUGH THOSE PROGRAMS.
YOU WANT ACCOUNTABILITY?
WHAT DID THE STUDY SAY THAT HAVE
BEEN DONE BY THE DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION?
THEY SAID UPWARD BOUN,
ICE AS LIKELY TO EARN A
BACHELOR'S DEGREE.
TALENT SEARCH STUDENTS, 33% MORE
LIKELY TO ENROLL IN COLLEGE.
VETERANS UPWARD BOUND, 42% MORE
LIKELY.
I WILL GO TO MY NEXTUESTION.
YOUR ARGUMENT THAT THERE IS NO
STUDY, NO ACCOUNTABILITY IS
WRONG.
THE FACT THAT YOU ARE COMING
HERE NOT EVEN HAVING LOOKE AT
YOUR OWN DEPARTMENT STUDIES FOR
THESE PROGRAMS OR TO BE INFORMED
ABOUT THEM IS TROUBLING.
LEME TALK ABOUT THE COST OF
HIGHER EDUCATION
I STILL LIVE IN A BLUE-COLLAR
COMMUNY.
THEY SAY, WE ARE NOT SURE OUR
KIDS WILL GO TO COLLEGE.
THEY WILL END UP WITH A MOUNTAIN
OF DEBT AND MAYBE NO JOB.
HERE YOU ARE MAKING IT MORE
EXPENSIVE.
I WONDER IF YOU KNOW HOW MUCH A
STUDENT IN GERMANY HAS TO PAY
TUITION FOR UNIVERSITY.
SEC. MCMAHON: ION'T.
N. MULLIN: IT IS ZERO.
WHAT ABOUT THE BROADER EOPEAN
ECONOMIC ZONE?
SEC. MCMAHON: WE DON'T LIVE IN
EUROPE.
SEN. MERKLEY: IT IS ZERO.
MY POINT HERE IS THOSE COUNTRIES
ARE SAYING WE WANT EVERY CHILD
TO THRIVE.
WE WANT EVERY CHILD TO HAVE
OPPORTUNITY.
WE DON'T WANT TO SAY TO OUR
KIDS, MAYBE THEY SHOULD NOT GO
TO COLLEGE BECAUSE THEY WILL
HAVE THIS MOUNTAIN OF DEBT.
THAT IS AMERICAN VALUES OF
OPPORTUNITY FOEVERY INDIVIDUAL
AND HERE YOU ARE RAISING THE
COST OF COLLEGE, MAKING IT MUCH
RDER FOR ORDINARY KIDS FROM
BLUE-COLLAR BACKGROUNDS TO BE
ABLE TO PURSUE THEIR DREAMS.
I FIND THAT TOTALLY INCONSISTENT
WITH TMP CAMPAIGN WHERE HE
SAID HE WOULD FIGHT FOR ORDINARY
FAMILIES.
SEC. MCMAHON: I HAVE TO
DISAEE.
WE ARE NOTAISING THE COST OF
COLLEGE.
WE ARE ACTUALLY WITH ALL OF TH
PROGRAMS, WE WANT COLLEGES TO
REDUCE THEIR COSTS.
SEN. MERKLEY: THESE PROGRAMS YOU
ARE CHANNG OR MAKING I MUCH
MOREO
TO COLLEGE.
SEC. MCMAHON: WE HAVE NOT
CHANGED LOAN PROGRAMS.
SEN. MERKLEY: I WILL TURN TO
MENTAL HEALTH BECAUSE I'M VERY
CONCERNE
A W YEARS AGO BEFORE COVID
WHEN I WAS IN A MEETING WITH
STUDENT COUNSELORS IN EASTERN
OREGON, A RURAL AREA, THEY SAY
ARE SEEING KIDS ACTINGUT
MUCH MORE THAN EVER BEFORE.
I SAID, WAS THERE A FACTORY THAT
JUST SHUT DOWN OR ANY NEW WAVE
OF METH?
THEY SAID, N
THOSARE NOT NEW.
ONE OF THE COUNSELORS SAID THIS
IS WHAT IS NEW.
THEY PULLED OUT THEIRL
PHONE.
KIDS ARE COMING IN WITH FAR LESS
UNDERSTANDING AND ABILIF HOW
TO SIT IN A COLLABORATIVE
ENVIRONMENT LIKE A CLASSROOM AND
HOW TO COMMUNICATE WH OTHER
CHILDREN AND TEACHERS.
THERE IS A BOOK THAT JUST CAME
OUT.
MY STAFF PUT IT ON MY DESK THIS
MORNING.
BE PUT INTO THE RECORD.FIVE TO
THE ANXIOUS TO RECORD THE
ANXIOUGENERATION.
S PAGING THROUGH IT AND IT
NOTES THAT THERE ARE FOUR
FACTORS IN WHICH THESE CELL
PHONES ARE AFFECTING OUR
CHILDREN PROFOUNDLY.
SOCIAL DEPRIVATION, SLEEP
DEPRIVATION, ATTENTION
FRAGMENTATION AND SCREEN
ADDICTION.
ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK
I HAVE BEEGING THE
DEPARTMENT TO SERIOUSLY LOOK AT
THE ISSUE HOW CHILDHOOD IS
CHANGING AND CHILDHOOD IS
CHANGING BECAUSE OF TECHNOLOGY
IN WAYS THAT ARE REALL
COMPROMISING THE ABILITY OF OUR
EDUCATN ENTERPRISE TO RK
WELL.
THIS BRINGS TO MY POINT ABOUT
WHY YOU HAVE CANCELED MENTAL
HEALTH GRANTS FOR OUR SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE FIVE SCHOOLS OREGON
THAT GOT GRANTS TO HAVE MORE
MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS AND YOU
HAVE CANCELED THEM.
WHY HAVE YOU CANCELED MENTAL
HEALTH GRANTS IN THE MIDDLE OF A
CHALLENGING TIME FOR OUR
STUDENTS?
SEC. MCMAHON: WE HAVE NOT
CANCELED MENTAL HEALTH GRANTS.
WE SAID WE ARE NOT CONTINUING
THEM AFTER THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE
REBUILT AND TO HAVE A DIFFERENT
LOOK AT THEM.
I COULD NOT AGREE WITH YOU MORE
ABOUT CELL PHONES.
GORNORS OF SEVERAL STATES HAVE
SAID THERE WILL NOT BE CELL
PHONES IN THE CLASSROOM AND THEY
ARE SEEINAN UPTICK IN THEIR
LITERACY AND SOCIAL INTERACTION.
STATES HAVE THE ABILITY AT
DIFFERENT LEVELS TO GO AHEAD AND
MAKE DECISIONS AND TO PUT THEIR
POLICIES IN PLACE THAT CAN BE
EF.
SEN. MERKLEY: THE FIVE GRANTS
YOU HAVE CANCELED THAT YOU ARE
UNAWARE OF IN OREGON, WILL YOU
RESTORE THOSE?
SEC. MCMAHON: WE ARE NOT
CONTINUING THOSE.
SEN. MERKLEY: IF YOU DISCOVER
THAT YOU HAVE ACTUALLY CANCELED
GRANTS THAT WERE ALREADY
AWARDED, YOU WILL UNDO THE
CANCELLATIONS?
SEC. MCMAHON: I WOULD LIKE TO
GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
I DON'T BELIEVE W HAVE CANCELED
ANY GRANTS WE ARE NOT CONTINUING
BUT WE WILL REBID THEM.
SEN. MERKLEY: MEANING YOU ARE
CANCELING THEM BUT YOU WILL
REBID THEM.
SEN. CRUZ: WE ARE NOT CONTINUING
THEM.
WE HAVE NOT CANCELED THEM.
WE ARE CONTINUING.
SEN. MERKLEY: I HAVE FIVE
SCHOOLS THAT HAVE RECEIVED
LETTERS FROM YOU OR YOUR
DEPARTMENT SAYING THAT THERE
MENTAL HEALTH GRANTS HAVE BEEN
CANCELED.
SEC. MCMAHON: THEY ARE NOT
CONTINUED.
SEN. MERKLEY: THAT THEY HAVE
BEEN CANCELED.
SEC. MCMAHON: I WILL LOOK INTO
THAT AND GET BACK TO YOU.
SEN. MERKLEY: WHEN YOU GET A
GRANT IT IS FOR THE WORK YOU ARE
DOING FROM HERE FORWARD.
IF NOT CONTINUING MEANS AS OF
TODAY WE ARE NOT FUNDING, THEN
YOU HAVE CANCELED.
SEC. MCMAHON: NO.
YOU CAN REBID THE GRANT.
SEN. MERKLEY: IS THATHAT YOU
ARE DOING?
YOU SET THE GRANTS, WE ARE
ENDING THEM AND TAKING THEM
BACK.
SEC. MCMAHON: I SAID WE ARE NOT
CONTINUING THEM AFTER THIS YEAR.
WE WILL HAVE A REBIDDING PROCESS
TO LOOK AT THOSE GRANTS.
SEN. MERKLEY: I STRONGLY
ENCOURAGE YOU TO UNDERSTAND HOW
YOU ARE HURTING ORDINARY KIDS
ACROSS THIS COUNTRY WHO MAY HAVE
ASPIRATIONS AND THEY MAY NOT ALL
REQUIRE GOING TO COLLEGE BUT
MANY OF THOSE CAN BE WELL SERVED
BY HIGHER EDUCATION.
YOU SHOULD NOT BE PUTTING
OBSTACLES IN THEIR PATH.
SEC. MCMAHON: SENATOR MERKLEY,
WHAT WE ARE DOING HAS NOT
WORKED.
WE ARE CONTINUING TO THROW MONEY
AT THINGS THAT ARE NOT BEING
SUCCESSFUL SO WE ARE TRYINTO
LOOK APPROPRIATELY AT ALL OF OUR
GRANTS AND HOW THE DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION.
SEN. MERKLEY: THOSE PROGRAMS
HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IF YOU HAD
TAKEN THE EFFORT TO READ THE
EVALUATIONS OF THE
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