‘All but impossible’: Republican senator says Trump’s education cuts would go too far

By Moriah Balingit June 6 at 11:07 AM

The Republican chairman of a Senate Appropriations subcommittee expressed deep skepticism Tuesday morning that the Trump administration’s education budget proposal would survive congressional scrutiny, citing its suggestion to cut programs popular on both sides of the aisle.

“This is a difficult budget request to defend,” Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) said at a hearing held by the subcommittee on labor, health and human services. “I think it’s likely that the kinds of cuts that are proposed in this budget will not occur, so we need to fully understand your priorities and why they are your priorities.”

Blunt was addressing Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who appeared on Capitol Hill to defend a proposal that seeks to slash spending for popular programs while boosting funds for private school vouchers and other school choice initiatives. In a previous appearance last month — before a House subcommittee — DeVos had stoked controversy as she declined to say whether she would block federal funds from private schools that discriminate against LGBT students.

President Trump has proposed slashing $10.6 billion from federal education initiatives, including after-school programs, teacher training, and career and technical education, and reinvesting $1.4 billion of the savings into promoting his top education priority: school choice, including $250 million for vouchers to help students attend private and religious schools.

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