Education Department Nominees Testify Before Senate Committee
On Thursday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing to review the nominations of Dr. Penny Schwinn for Deputy Secretary of Education and Kimberly Richey for Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Education.
Dr. Schwinn focused her testimony on student-centered education policy, highlighting her work in Tennessee on reading outcomes and school choice while stressing the importance of state-led innovation and accountability. Ms. Richey committed to safeguarding students from discrimination, particularly students with disabilities and LGBTQ+ individuals, and pledged to strengthen civil rights protections. She avoided answering how OCR could handle backlogs with a significantly reduced staff, noting that she is not yet in a position to know the details of personnel capacity.
Senators debated issues including Title IX, school choice, and the federal role in education, with Republicans advocating for local control and parental choice. At the same time, Democrats emphasized transparency, mental health support, and concerns about personnel cuts within the department. The hearing included discussions on antisemitism, OCR office closures, and the backlog of civil rights complaints.