U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon faced sharp Senate questioning over the Trump administration’s FY 2027 budget proposal, which would cut discretionary Education Department funding to $76.5 billion and sharply reduce support for student aid and civil rights enforcement. Senators challenged how responsibilities will shift as the administration “dismantles” the department through interagency transfers. McMahon defended a plan to move grant administration, including TRIO and Gear Up, to the U.S. Department of Labor, while Democrats pressed concerns about operational capacity and past watchdog findings. The proposal also targets the Office for Civil Rights with a 35% cut, escalating uncertainty for colleges and school districts that rely on complaint investigations. At the hearing, lawmakers questioned whether transferred programs can be managed as complex federal portfolios—an issue tied directly to compliance burdens for institutions. The exchange underscored that institutions may face changing oversight and enforcement timelines even before final rules and appropriations are settled.