On Thursday, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) held a hearing to consider 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 (ED). In her remarks, Dr. Schwinn emphasized the importance of centering education policy on student needs rather than systems, highlighting her track record in Tennessee on reading outcomes and [public] school choice. She underscored the importance of state-level innovation, local authority, and accountability. Ms. Richey, nominated to lead the ED’s OCR, stated her commitment to protecting students from discrimination in all forms and emphasized the need to ensure civil rights protections, particularly for students with disabilities and LGBTQ+ students. Senators questioned her on topics ranging from antisemitism and office closures to the backlog in civil rights complaints. Richey affirmed her intention to advocate for adequate OCR resources and a balanced focus across all protected statuses. Throughout the hearing, Senators expressed divergent views on issues like Title IX protections, school choice, and the role of the federal government in education. While some, such as HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), emphasized local control and the value of parental choice, others, including Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) and Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), raised concerns about data transparency, mental health support in schools, and proposed departmental reorganizations.