Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Under Fire For Budget Proposal That Guts Special Olympics Funding

Since her nomination for Education Secretary by President Trump in November 2016, billionaire philanthropist Betsy DeVos has been the subject of intense scrutiny from Democrats. On Tuesday, she once again found herself the subject of debate and controversy when testifying before Congress about budget cuts.

DeVos provided a defense for the Trump administration's proposal to cut at least $7 billion from education programs. It included eliminating the full $17.6 million allocated for the Special Olympics, which is roughly 10 percent of its revenue. The budget proposal would also cut funding for after-school programs and support for students from low-income families.

Despite saying she "loves" the Special Olympics, DeVos argued that the agency can't afford to continue funding it. It's the third time the Trump administration has attempted to gut funding for the Special Olympics.

Democrats grilled her over the budget during her testimony. Rep. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin asked DeVos if she knew how many children would be affected by this, and when DeVos could not answer, Pocan jumped in.

"I’ll answer it for you, that’s O.K., no problem. It’s 272,000 kids," Pocan said.

DeVos then told Pocan that "we had to make difficult decisions with this budget."

DeVos has been an active supporter of the Special Olympics in the past. Following the first budget proposal that would cut funding, DeVos announced she’d donate part of her annual salary to the organization.

CNN also revealed that the budget proposal would keep the same level of funding for core special education programs.

Maria Shriver, daughter of Special Olympics founder Eunice Shriver, said the cuts were "outrageous in every way."

Many prominent ESPN personalities posted criticism of DeVos on Twitter, including "Around the Horn" host Tony Reali, "Sportscenter" host Kevin Negandhi and former U.S. women’s soccer standout Julie Foudy.

DeVos had faced fierce opposition during her confirmation by the Senate, with Vice-President Mike Pence breaking the 50-50 split. In confirmation sessions, she seemed to struggle when answering questions about financial aid and student loans, while admitting not knowing about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Democrats took issue with her relatively scant background and experience in education.

DeVos also drew attention for suggesting that guns should be accessible to some schools due to the threat from grizzly bears.