DEVOS: EDUCATION CUTS ‘ALARMING’ BUT NECESSARY

U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Tuesday defended the Trump administration’s proposed $9 billion cut to education, saying the planned 13% reduction in funding may seem shocking, but it’s necessary.

“I’ve seen the headlines, and I understand those figures are alarming for many,” DeVos told lawmakers in an Appropriations subcommittee, according to her prepared testimony. The proposed 2018 budget, she said, refo- cuses the department on supporting states and school districts in their efforts to provide “high-quality education” to all students while simplifying college funding, among other efforts.

Overall, Trump plans to eliminate or phase out 22 programs that the administration says are “duplicative, ineffective, or are better supported through state, local, or private efforts.”