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Confirmation process for Linda McMahon for secretary of education

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First term: Transition • Confirmation process for Cabinet nominees • Cabinet • Administration

President-elect Donald Trump (R) announced former Small Business Administration Administrator Linda McMahon as his nominee for secretary of education on November 19, 2024. This presidential appointment requires Senate confirmation.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held a confirmation hearing for McMahon on February 13, 2025. The Senate voted 51-45 to confirm McMahon on March 3, 2025.[1] Click here to read more about the confirmation process.

Trump said of McMahon's nomination, "Linda will use her decades of Leadership experience, and deep understanding of both Education and Business, to empower the next Generation of American Students and Workers, and make America Number One in Education in the World."[2]

This page includes the following information about the confirmation process:

Confirmation process

See also: Confirmation process for Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees, 2025

Confirmation vote roll call

See also: How senators voted on Trump Cabinet nominees, 2025

The Senate voted 51-45 to confirm McMahon on March 3, 2025.[1]

Summary of Senate vote on Linda McMahon's nomination for secretary of education (March 3, 2025)
Party Votes for Votes against Not voting
Democratic Party Democrats 0 43 2
Republican Party Republicans 51 0 2
Grey.png Independents 0 2 0
Totals 51 45 4




Senate confirmation hearing

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held a confirmation hearing for McMahon on February 13, 2025.

Linda McMahon's Senate confirmation hearing, February 13, 2025

Financial disclosures

The Office of Government Ethics released McMahon's financial disclosures in February 2025. Click here to review them.

About the nominee

McMahon was born in New Bern, North Carolina. She graduated from East Carolina University with a B.S. in French.[3][4] McMahon co-founded World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE) with Vince McMahon, her husband in the 1980s. She worked as chief executive officer at the WWE through 2009.[5]

McMahon ran unsuccessfully as the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Connecticut in 2010 and 2012. From 2017 to 2019, McMahon served as the administrator of the Small Business Administration during Donald Trump's (R) first presidential term.[5] On April 12, 2019, McMahon stepped down from her role as the SBA administrator to chair the America First Action PAC.[6] Below is an abbreviated outline of McMahon's academic, professional, and political career:[4]

  • 2020-2025: Chairwoman of America First Action
  • February 14, 2017-April 12, 2019: Administrator of the Small Business Administration
  • 2016: Delegate to the Republican National Convention from Connecticut and a member of the 2016 RNC Rules Committee
  • 2015 - 2017: Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Women's Leadership LIVE
  • 2012: U.S. Senate candidate from Connecticut
  • 2010: U.S. Senate candidate from Connecticut
  • 1974 - 2009: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE)


About the confirmation process

See also: Appointment confirmation process

The confirmation process includes several rounds of investigation and review, beginning with the submission of a personal financial disclosure report and a background check. The nominee is then evaluated in a committee hearing, which allows for a close examination of the nominee and his or her views on public policy. Supporters and opponents of the nominee may also testify.[7]

Once committee hearings are closed, most committees have a set amount of time before a vote is taken on whether the nominee is reported to the Senate favorably, unfavorably, or without recommendation. The nomination will then go to the Senate floor for consideration. Once the nomination is considered by the Senate, unlimited debate is allowed until a majority of the Senate votes to invoke cloture and close debate. Following a vote of cloture, the Senate conducts a simple majority vote on whether to confirm, reject, or take no action on the nomination.[8]

About the Cabinet

A presidential Cabinet is a group of senior federal officials who advise the president on the issues and activities of their respective agencies. The Cabinet tradition is rooted in Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the Constitution, which states that the president "may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices."[9]

While not explicitly identified in the Constitution, the Cabinet secretaries are the 15 agency heads who are in the presidential line of succession. The vice president is also part of the Cabinet. These positions, in order of presidential succession, are:

The number of officials in a Cabinet can vary across presidential administrations. The following additional positions are part of Trump's second term presidential Cabinet:

All of the positions above, except for Vice President and White House Chief of Staff, require Senate confirmation.

Other Trump Cabinet nominees

See also: Donald Trump's Cabinet, 2025 and Confirmation process for Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees, 2025

The following table provides an overview of the status, confirmation hearings, and committee and Senate votes for each of Trump's Cabinet and Cabinet-rank nominees in his second term.

Overview of confirmation process for Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees in his second term
Nominee Position Announced Senate committee Confirmation hearing Committee vote Senate vote Status
Marco Rubio Secretary of State November 13, 2024 Foreign Relations January 15, 2025 Favorable (22-0) 99-0 Confirmed on January 20, 2025
Scott Bessent Secretary of the Treasury November 22, 2024 Finance January 16, 2025 Favorable (16-11) 68-29 Confirmed on January 27, 2025
Pete Hegseth Secretary of Defense November 12, 2024 Armed Services January 14, 2025 Favorable (14-13) 51-50 Confirmed on January 24, 2025
Matt Gaetz Attorney General November 13, 2024 Judiciary N/A N/A N/A Withdrawn on November 21, 2024
Pam Bondi Attorney General November 21, 2024 Judiciary January 15-16, 2025 Favorable (12-10) 54-46 Confirmed on February 4, 2025
Doug Burgum Secretary of the Interior November 14, 2024 Energy and Natural Resources January 16, 2025 Favorable (18-2) 80-17 Confirmed on January 30, 2025
Brooke Rollins Secretary of Agriculture November 23, 2024 Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry January 23, 2025 Favorable (23-0) 72-28 Confirmed on February 13, 2025
Howard Lutnick Secretary of Commerce November 19, 2024 Commerce, Science, and Transportation January 29, 2025 Favorable (16-12) 51-45 Confirmed on February 18, 2025
Lori Chavez-DeRemer Secretary of Labor November 22, 2024 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions February 19, 2025 Favorable (13-9) 67-32 Confirmed on March 10, 2025
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Secretary of Health and Human Services November 14, 2024 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
/ Finance		 January 30, 2025 / January 29, 2025 N/A / Favorable (14-13) 52-48 Confirmed on February 13, 2025
Scott Turner Secretary of Housing and Urban Development November 22, 2024 Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs January 16, 2025 Favorable (13-11) 55-44 Confirmed on February 5, 2025
Sean Duffy Secretary of Transportation November 18, 2024 Commerce, Science, and Transportation January 15, 2025 Favorable (28-0) 77-22 Confirmed on January 28, 2025
Chris Wright Secretary of Energy November 16, 2024 Energy and Natural Resources January 15, 2025 Favorable (15-5) 59-38 Confirmed on February 3, 2025
Linda McMahon Secretary of Education November 19, 2024 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions February 13, 2025 Favorable (12-11) 51-45 Confirmed on March 3, 2025
Doug Collins Secretary of Veterans Affairs November 14, 2024 Veterans' Affairs January 21, 2025 Favorable (18-1) 77-23 Confirmed on February 4, 2025
Kristi Noem Secretary of Homeland Security November 12, 2024 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs January 17, 2025 Favorable (13-2) 59-34 Confirmed on January 25, 2025
Jamieson Greer U.S. Trade Representative November 26, 2024 Finance February 6, 2025 Favorable (15-12) 56-43 Confirmed on February 26, 2025
Tulsi Gabbard Director of National Intelligence November 13, 2024 Intelligence (Select) January 30, 2025 Favorable (9-8) 52-48 Confirmed on February 12, 2025
Elise Stefanik U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations November 11, 2024 Foreign Relations January 21, 2025 Favorable (Voice Vote) N/A Withdrawn on March 27, 2025
Michael Waltz U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations May 1, 2025 Foreign Relations July 15, 2025
September 17, 2025		 Favorable (12-10)
Favorable (11-10)		 47-43 Confirmed on September 19, 2025
Russell Vought Director of the Office of Management and Budget November 22, 2024 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs / Budget January 15, 2025 / January 22, 2025 Favorable (8-7) / Favorable (11-0) 53-47 Confirmed on February 6, 2025
Lee Zeldin Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency November 11, 2024 Environment and Public Works January 16, 2025 Favorable (11-8) 56-42 Confirmed on January 29, 2025
Kelly Loeffler Administrator of the Small Business Administration December 4, 2024 Small Business and Entrepreneurship January 29, 2025 Favorable (12-7) 52-46 Confirmed on February 19, 2025
John Ratcliffe Director of the Central Intelligence Agency November 12, 2024 Intelligence (Select) January 15, 2025 Favorable (14-3) 74-25 Confirmed on January 23, 2025


Historical comparison of Cabinet confirmations

Comparison to Biden administration

See also: Joe Biden's Cabinet

The following chart displays how many days it took for the Cabinet secretaries of President Joe Biden (D) to be confirmed after the inauguration in 2021. This chart includes the main 15 Cabinet positions.

Comparison to Trump's first term

See also: Donald Trump presidential Cabinet, 2017-2021

The following chart displays how many days it took for President Donald Trump's (R) first term Cabinet secretaries to be confirmed after the inauguration in 2017. This chart includes the main 15 Cabinet positions.

Comparison to Obama administration

The following chart displays how many days it took for the Cabinet secretaries of President Barack Obama (D) to be confirmed after the inauguration in 2009. This chart includes the main 15 Cabinet positions.


List of secretaries of education, 1980-2024

See also: U.S. Department of Education
Recent Secretaries of Education
Secretary of Education Years in office Nominated by
Lamar Alexander 1991-1993 George H.W. Bush
Richard Riley 1993-2001 Bill Clinton
Roderick Paige 2001-2005 George W. Bush
Margaret Spellings 2005-2009 George W. Bush
Arne Duncan 2009-2015 Barack Obama
John King Jr. 2016-2017 Barack Obama
Betsy DeVos 2017-2021 Donald Trump
Miguel Cardona 2021-Present Joe Biden
Denise Carter (acting) 2025-present Donald Trump


See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Associated Press, “‘Senate confirms McMahon to lead Education Department as Trump pushes to shut it down" accessed March 3, 2025
  2. ↑ The Washington Post, "Trump taps transition co-chair Linda McMahon to be education secretary," accessed November 19, 2024
  3. ↑ Sports Illustrated, "Linda McMahon on her role with WWE and Women’s Leadership LIVE," accessed March 31, 2017
  4. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Small Business Administration, "Linda McMahon," accessed December 3, 2024
  5. ↑ Politico, "Linda McMahon to leave Cabinet for Trump 2020 PAC," March 29, 2019
  6. ↑ CRS Report for Congress, "Senate Confirmation Process: An Overview," accessed July 24, 2013
  7. ↑ Congressional Research Service, "Senate Consideration of Presidential Nominations: Committee and Floor Procedure," April 4, 2019
  8. ↑ Constitution Center, "Presidential Advisors," accessed November 18, 2020
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