Betsy DeVos, secretary of education under the Trump Administration, is facing strong criticism from Democrats after defending proposed cuts to the United States’ Department of Education budget—including the elimination of $18 million for Special Olympics.
Addressing a Democrat-led subcommittee in the U.S. House of Representatives, DeVos defended a budget proposal that would cut about 10% of the current Department of Education budget and reduce it by almost $7 billion. DeVos, meanwhile, has proposed adding $60 million to fund charter schools.
In a prepared statement, DeVos told the House subcommittee, “We are not doing our children any favors when we borrow from their future in order to invest in systems and policies that are not yielding better results.” But her argument didn’t win over Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, who chairs the House Appropriations subcommittee on education.
DeLauro angrily asserted, “I believe this budget is cruel, and I believe that it is reckless. I believe that it will hurt the middle class and working, low-income families that most need our help.”
DeLauro also told DeVos, “I do not understand how you can support this budget and be the secretary of education. This budget underfunds education at every turn.”
Sen. Patty Murray, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, has been equally critical of DeVos’ proposals. Earlier this month, Murray complained, “Secretary DeVos is proposing gutting investments in students, teachers, public schools, and even school safety—all to make room for her extreme privatization proposal that no one asked for.”
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