The Senate confirmed Linda McMahon as Education secretary on Monday evening, 51-45.

Last week, the Senate advanced McMahon’s nomination by a 51-47 vote along party lines, with no Democrats voting in favor.

During her Senate testimony, McMahon outlined three priorities for the Department of Education: 

Who could argue with that? 

During her confirmation hearing, McMahon said, "The Department of Education was set up in 1980 — and since that time, we have spent almost almost a trillion dollars and we have watched our performance scores continue to go down."

In January, Trump signed an executive order directing "the Department of Education to issue guidance on how the States can use federal funding formulas to support their K-12 scholarship programs" and directing "the Secretary of Education to prioritize school choice programs in the Department’s discretionary grant programs."

McMahon will have her hands full in the coming months. 

At the time of her nomination, the White House described her qualifications in a press release: 

Linda McMahon is originally from New Bern, North Carolina, and most recently served as Chair of the Board and Chair of the Center for the American Worker at the America First Policy Institute. McMahon served in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet as Administrator of the Small Business Administration. 

At SBA, McMahon re-imagined the organization, focusing on rural development and championing women entrepreneurs and military veterans. She oversaw natural disaster recovery efforts and helped improve the way the SBA connected small businesses to capital, counseling, and government contracts. 

After her service in the Trump Administration, she served as Chair of the America First Action SuperPAC, and America First Policy, LLC. Prior to her career in public service, McMahon was the President and later CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.

Not surprisingly, the usual suspects in the Education Cartel—and their accomplices in Congress—vehemently opposed her nomination, especially given that President Trump has suggested he will shut down the Department of Education. 

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) took to X to decry McMahon's nomination, writing, "Linda McMahon's big plan for the Department of Education is to keep up Trump and Musk's pro-billionaire agenda while our schools get robbed of the funding they need to support our country's students and teachers. I will be voting NO on her confirmation."

National Education Association President Becky Pringle warned, “The Senate must reject Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education. The agenda is clear and dangerous. They want to gut public education and undermine public schools. Whether in Washington, with legal actions and lawsuits, or through grassroots actions in communities across the country, educators will continue to protect our students from this reckless agenda." 

Nevertheless, she enjoyed widespread support among Republicans. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune praised McMahon in a statement: 

Mrs. McMahon is an accomplished businesswoman and public servant. She's known for her role in building World Wrestling Entertainment -- better known as WWE -- from a small operation to a large and thriving enterprise, and she has used her success to give back and make a positive impact. Mrs. McMahon led efforts to promote reading and civic engagement through WWE. She spent 16 years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in her home state of Connecticut. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education, and in his first term, President Trump tapped Linda McMahon to lead the Small Business Administration, where she was known for listening to small businesses to make the SBA a more effective agency. She will bring valuable experience, an incredible work ethic and a passion for education to her new role, leading the Department of Education.

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) told News Nation on Monday, "Linda McMahon is the right person to lead the Department of Education. The Education Department's bloated bureaucracy has failed to improve the nation's education system, and likely even made it worse. Ms. McMahon has committed to righting the ship of American education."

Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) wrote on X: "Our education system has been taken over by out-of-touch bureaucrats in Washington. Time for an overhaul."

Fox Business correspondent Charles Gasparino wrote on X ahead of the vote: 

Department of Education @usedgov sources tell me that they expect massive layoffs as soon as today after @Linda_McMahon is confirmed as secretary. Employees were sent an email Friday offering a $25K "Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment" that expires today.  "This is a one-time offer in advance of a very significant Reduction In Force For the US Department of Education," the email stated. @WhiteHouse is also bracing for lawsuits to thwart the significant downsizing of the DOE that is being planned.

The overhaul can't come soon enough.