At a heated House Appropriations hearing, Education Secretary Linda McMahon clashed with Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman over the Trump administration’s plans to cut $12 billion from the Education Department and reduce its size.

Watson Coleman accused the administration of racial bias and gutting civil rights enforcement, while McMahon defended the cuts as efforts to return control to states and improve literacy.

McMahon also highlighted school choice and charter school funding increases, but Democrats criticized the lack of support for programs like Head Start.

Republicans praised the focus on accountability over funding, Fox News has reported.

The administration called the Education Department unnecessary, citing stagnant student outcomes despite decades of spending.

Written by B.C. Begley