Advocates Call On Congress to Convene Emergency Hearing, Demand Answers, and Hold Linda McMahon Accountable
March 20, 2025 | WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump is expected to sign an Executive Order (EO) today directing Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to take “all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the U.S. Department of Education (ED).” According to reporting, the order claims to ensure the “uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely,” yet Trump and McMahon have gutted the arms of ED that make those functions possible.
The order also comes after a series of unprecedented and illegal actions by the Trump Administration that obstruct those functions:
- The mass firing of 50% of ED’s workforce, including civil servants charged with ensuring students and families receive the financial aid they need to pay for college.
- Blocking access to Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) options for millions desperately seeking affordable monthly payments.
- Undermining Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).
During her confirmation hearing before the Senate HELP Committee last month, Secretary McMahon committed to senators that ED will continue to administer critical financial aid grants and other programs authorized by law, including IDR and PSLF. However, every move McMahon has made as Secretary of Education has contradicted this commitment and pushed necessary resources and relief further out of reach.
In response, Mike Pierce, Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC) Executive Director, issued the following statement:
“Secretary McMahon stood before Congress and promised to continue administering critical programs like IDR and PSLF authorized by federal law. Instead, she has led the dismantling of the agency from the inside and pushed critical aid and relief further out of reach for millions. Every day, Secretary McMahon demonstrates that she will stop at nothing to rubber stamp President Trump’s radical Project 2025 agenda—even if it means lying before Congress. Policymakers must act now: convene an emergency hearing, demand answers from Linda McMahon, and hold her accountable before it is too late.”
This EO comes just two days after AFT filed a lawsuit against ED, challenging the administration’s illegal move to block access to IDR plans—a move that has left millions of borrowers stranded without affordable repayment options and pushed PSLF out of reach.
Further Reading
SBPC statement on Trump Administration’s major reduction in force at ED: Trump and McMahon’s Mass Firing at ED Stokes Flames of Ongoing Chaos Campaign
Poll showing majority of voters opposing Trump’s plans to abolish ED: Trump’s Plan to Abolish Department of Education is Extremely Unpopular Among Voters
AFT lawsuit against ED for illegally freezing IDR plans and PSLF: AFT Sues U.S. Department of Education, Demands Justice for Student Loan Borrowers Blocked from Affordable Loan Payments
AFT and SBPC statement on Trump’s plan to revoke PSLF eligibility for non-profits opposed to Trump’s policies: Advocates Blast Trump Plans to Sign Executive Order to Weaponize Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Stifle Free Speech Across America
SBPC blog on the harms of gutting ED and confirming Linda McMahon as the leader of the remnants: Critical Trump Administration Nominees Should Raise Major Red Flags for Working Families with Student Debt
SBPC analysis quantifying the economic toll of Project 2025 on student loan borrowers: New Data Reveals Economic Toll of Project 2025’s Attacks on Public Service Workers, Would Force Millions to Pay $250 Billion in Additional Student Loan Debt
SBPC state-by-state map of Project 2025 harm: https://protectborrowers.org/project-2025-pslf-state-by-state-map/
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About Student Borrower Protection Center
Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC) is a nonprofit organization focused on eliminating the burden of student debt for millions of Americans. We engage in advocacy, policymaking, and litigation strategy to rein in industry abuses, protect borrowers’ rights, and advance racial and economic justice.
Learn more at protectborrowers.org or follow SBPC on Twitter @theSBPC.