What are Linda McMahon's key positions and challenges in her confirmation hearing for the Department of Education role?

Linda McMahon's confirmation hearing reveals her commitment to revamping the Department of Education by focusing on parental rights and returning to educational basics. She aligns with President Trump's broader agenda to eliminate the department entirely, with her role essentially being to "work herself out of a job" by transferring responsibilities to state departments or other federal agencies. However, McMahon faces significant political obstacles in achieving this goal. Under questioning from Democrats like Bernie Sanders, she acknowledged that eliminating the department requires congressional approval, not just executive action. Any such legislation would likely need 60 Senate votes, meaning approximately 10 Democratic senators would need to support the measure—a challenging political reality that makes complete elimination unlikely in the current political climate.