▶ 0:18:29>> the senate committee on health, labor, pensions, will come to order. If confirmed, miss mcmahon has the task of informing the department of education that has lost its purpose. The department focused on everything but student learning. We did a strong leader who will get our education system back on track.
▶ 0:18:58Miss mcmahon is the right person for the job. She is a businesswoman and head of the small business administration in president trump's first term. She demonstrated a strong vision for the department of education. She committed to empowering parents and returning powers to states and local communities which by the way are best equipped to address student needs.
▶ 0:19:27Miss mcmahon is steadfast in upholding the true meaning of title ix ensuring fairness for women and girls on the field and in the classroom. She will hold colleges and universities accountable including jewish students who have faced anti-semitic violence and harassment since october 7. Miss mcmahon is the partner this committee needs to improve the education system.
▶ 0:19:56I look forward to working with her to make sure every child has the opportunity to succeed. I urge colleagues to vote yes. With that, I recognize senator sanders.
▶ 0:20:08Sen. Sanders: Thank you, Mr. chairman. I like miss mcmahon personally. I respect the work she has done in building a large and successful business. The main point that has to be made at this particular moment is it really doesn't matter, those people will not be calling the shots.
▶ 0:20:44Sen. Sanders: Every member of congress and the american people is that this great nation founded on democratic principles, founded around a separation of powers between the legislative branch, the judiciary, the executive branch is moving more and more toward an authoritarian society where are -- all power is in the hands of the few.
▶ 0:21:09Sen. Sanders: The president whether facetiously or not, I suspect not quite facetiously talked about being a team, talked about the day before, when you are trying to save the country, you don't have to worry about the law. That is not what this is about. The older I get the more I respect the work these guys did in the 1770's, they were nobody's fools.
▶ 0:21:37Sen. Sanders: They understood you don't give one branch all the power. They fought the king of england. It takes us back to the department of education. I think everybody in this committee understands that we are living in a time of massive income, wealth, inequality.
▶ 0:22:04Sen. Sanders: The department of education provides vital resources for 26 million kids who live in high poverty school district. These are the kids who most need our help. It is the responsibility of the federal government to see that every kid in america gets a quality education. In my view it really is, that is a lot of what the department of education does. Is it a perfect entity? No.
▶ 0:22:34Sen. Sanders: Is it bureaucratic yes. Should we abolish it? No. The department of education provides funding that millions of public school students with disabilities desperately need. Without federal funding, where would these kids be? It supports nearly 10 million children enrolled in yellow -- rural schools.
▶ 0:23:01Sen. Sanders: It enforces our federal civil rights law's to ensure all students could get a decent education no matter what the color of their skin might be. Mr. chairman, I will vote to oppose, I respect her, I like her, I will vote no.
▶ 0:23:22Chair Cassidy: We are waiting for two more on our side to show up, I'm told we need to wait for them unless I get a volunteer from one of you guys to vote yes.
▶ 0:23:36Sen. Kim: Does anybody else have a statement they would like to make? >> Mr. chair, I appreciate being recognized for brief remarks. Just following what the ranking member said, fundamentally is whether we support a nominee and president who supports dismantling the department of education is in the best interest of kids.
▶ 0:24:06Sen. Kim: Despite that doing so will improve academic outcome and make sure our most vulnerable students could access a high-quality public education. It is the belief our country's promise belongs to everyone. That each and every person matters and should be fully included in our country success.
▶ 0:24:27Sen. Kim: Blackened blacken and brown children were often excluded to go to the same schools or experience the same opportunities as other kids have. Congress created the department of education for these deep divide that prioritize educational success over national focus.
▶ 0:24:48Sen. Kim: We still have much more work to do to ensure every child no matter their background, ethnicity, or ability gets an excellent education, we can achieve this by diminishing this shared goal. Only 10% of public education funding comes from the federal government. The department is charged with providing is critical to making a public education system accessible to student.
▶ 0:25:19Sen. Kim: What troubles me is this false narrative. The federal government determines what happens every day across the country when the vast majority of decisions around public education are made by local decision-makers as it should be.
▶ 0:25:38Sen. Kim: Hiring decisions, and so many other factors are in the hands of our local unities, safeguarding the rights of all children to an education no matter their community, state, personal circumstance, that is the role entrusted to the federal government. The department of education provides title I and ida investments that make it possible for schools to provide educational opportunities to all students.
▶ 0:26:07Sen. Kim: Provides research and data on how we could help students do better and serves on innovative best practices. Those are all necessary and important responsibilities. Now is not the time to go back and disinvest an de-prioritize our educational success. Our nation strengths, success, and security depend on that success.
▶ 0:26:33Sen. Kim: A country that says it values children would not unravel the one agency of the federal government that exists to focus on children. My mom was a teacher. A proud public school teacher. She said every kid needs to know they have an adult in their. We also need to make sure they know the federal government is in their corner too.
▶ 0:26:54Chair Cassidy: Senator murkowski is on her way. We will start the vote but I asked my republican colleagues to stay in your seat until she has actually voted. >> I want to point out to the ranking member, I guess the minority ranking member it is interesting to hear you talk about the united states in the manner that it is in the way we
▶ 0:27:24Chair Cassidy: Perform and sometimes you present yourself as a socialist and what that means for this country. When the department of education , we were ranked number one in the world globally in education. Today we rank 34th. You think it is working? I don't know how you defend that. I don't know how you with a straight face say that is working.
▶ 0:27:54Chair Cassidy: What we are doing is the definition of insanity, we are repeating the same thing expecting different results. God for bid president trump comes in and wants to make changes. My kids all go to the public school system. My mother was a special education teacher. My grandmother, aunt, brother-in-law all teachers or principles. I get it. I understand it.
▶ 0:28:23Chair Cassidy: Talk to them and ask them how well it is working. We really say we are for the kids, let's try something drastic. We are doing nothing but going backwards. Our test scores have improved since 1979. They continued to fall. I'm all for change with that, I yield back.
▶ 0:28:48Chair Cassidy: Obviously senator murkowski is here. For those who wish to say, you have two minutes personal privilege if you wish. Senator kaine, two minutes. >> let me skip any attack on anybody on this side of the aisle and talk about the nominee.
▶ 0:29:16Chair Cassidy: I find areas of agreement but I can't vote for somebody who will willfully engage in the destruction of the very agent she once headed. That is disqualifying. >> anyone else? Why don't we go ahead and start voting. My republican colleagues remain seated until senator murkowski has voted. Senator collins.
▶ 0:29:47Chair Cassidy: [taking votes]
▶ 0:30:19Chair Cassidy: >> chairman. Senator also votes no by proxy. No by proxy. >> did you also hear that?
▶ 0:31:37Chair Cassidy: Senator murkowski. How do you vote? >> aye. >> I have 12 aye's 11 nays.
▶ 0:31:50Chair Cassidy: It will be reported to the senate, the committee stands adjourned.