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With little fanfare and just 10 minutes of debate, the Senate education committee on Thursday narrowly voted to advance the nomination of former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Linda McMahon as education secretary.

The 12-11 vote fell along party lines, with the Republican chairman of the committee, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, calling McMahon 鈥渢he partner this committee needs to improve the nation’s education system.鈥�

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an Independent who is the committee鈥檚 ranking member, said he liked McMahon personally. 鈥淚 respect the work she has done in building a large and successful business.鈥� But he said no matter who the education secretary is, 鈥渉e or she will not have the power鈥� to make consequential decisions. A small group of people in The White House, he said, will be 鈥渃alling the shots.鈥�

Sanders was referring to massive cuts at the department by auditors deputized by billionaire Elon Musk鈥檚 Department of Government Efficiency.

Along with other Democrats, Sanders criticized White House plans to dismantle the U.S. Education Department, which he said 鈥減rovides vital resources for 26 million kids who live in high-poverty school districts. These are the kids who most need our help.鈥�

During her confirmation hearing last week, McMahon said she supported dismantling the department, but admitted that the administration needs congressional support to do it. 

鈥淲e鈥檇 like to do this right,鈥� she told the committee. 鈥淲e鈥檇 like to make sure that we are presenting a plan that I think our senators could get on board with.鈥�

Sanders on Thursday said that was misguided. 鈥淚s it a perfect entity?鈥� he said. 鈥淣o. Is it bureaucratic? Yes. Can we reform it? Yes. Should we abolish it? No.鈥�

Likewise, Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, said he鈥檇 vote no on McMahon鈥檚 nomination for that reason. 鈥淚 can’t vote for somebody who will willfully engage in the destruction of the very agency she wants to lead. That is disqualifying.鈥�

McMahon鈥檚 nomination proceeds as the administration sends decidedly mixed signals on its education agenda. President Trump has nominated two experienced, well-regarded educators 鈥� North Dakota state Superintendent Kirsten Baesler and former Tennessee education chief Penny Schwinn 鈥� as top lieutenants to McMahon, even as Elon Musk鈥檚 Department of Government Efficiency decimates the department鈥檚 research arm, slashing millions of dollars in contracts in search of waste, fraud and abuse. At a press conference last week, Trump called the department 鈥渁 con job.鈥� 

McMahon, for her part, has said she supports DOGE鈥檚 work, saying, 鈥淚t is worthwhile to take a look at the programs before money goes out the door.鈥� 

While she鈥檚 expected to easily earn confirmation in the Republican-controlled Senate, with support among conservative groups, McMahon faces opposition from education and civil rights groups that more broadly oppose the White House education cuts. 

The conservative group last week said Trump was smart to nominate McMahon to lead the department 鈥渋n what we hope is a short tenure鈥� as she works to shutter it.

Conservative commentator Rick Hess McMahon鈥檚 WWE experience gives her the right background for the top job: 鈥淐onsidering that it鈥檚 an agency that鈥檚 long been plagued by low morale and accused of being too chummy with the unions and the college cartel,鈥� he wrote, 鈥渢here鈥檚 a strong case that what鈥檚 needed is an outsider with a strong managerial track record.鈥�

By contrast, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights on Wednesday urged lawmakers to reject her nomination, saying in a co-signed by more than 240 groups that she鈥檚 鈥渦nprepared and unqualified鈥� to lead the agency. Her confirmation would be 鈥渄isastrous for students, their families, and educators,鈥� the group said. 

Worth more than $3 billion

One of 13 billionaires tapped to lead Trump鈥檚 administration, McMahon has held tightly to Trump鈥檚 key education priorities: advancing private school choice, preventing trans students from competing in sports consistent with their gender identity and fighting antisemitism. 

McMahon鈥檚 confirmation has taken longer to schedule than those of most other cabinet nominees as the education committee waited for her to complete ethics paperwork detailing vast financial assets and ties to far-right organizations. Her net worth totals more than $3 billion.

As a board member of Trump Media & Technology Group, which runs the president鈥檚 Truth Social platform, she earns $18,400 quarterly. Politico reported that she also received stock in the company worth more than $800,000 in late January. McMahon is also on the advisory council for the Daily Caller, a conservative media outlet that has given her favorable coverage. 

If confirmed, McMahon has promised to step down from her board positions, forfeit any shares in Truth Social that she doesn鈥檛 yet fully own and divest from those that she does within three months. She also earns interest income from education-related municipal bonds that fund school construction across the country and has pledged to divest from those as well.

A vote before the full Senate has yet to be scheduled.

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