washington u.s. education secretary betsy devos face hostile question senate committee tuesday try win lawmakers president donald trump proposal slash department fund 13 percent devos republican narrowly senate approval post february strident opposition democrats fellow party members testify senate appropriations subcommittee education propose budget trump submit congress last month trump plan cut billion education department budget would improve educational opportunities shift federal role education devos tell panel understand figure alarm many say however budget refocus department support state school district efforts provide high-quality education students democrats take turn ask devos big budget line-items talk students say could hurt large spend cut point exchange whether private school receive federal fund would agree discriminate students devos would repeat school take federal money must abide u.s. law senator jeff merkley fellow democrats say refuse answer question federal law unclear many areas possible discrimination right transgendered people lawmakers expect alter trump propose budget vote subcommittee chair conservative republican roy blunt say believe congress would approve budget propose significant cut department budget likely untenable blunt say press specifically preserve fund technical program work-study financial aid special olympics civil right group democrats say budget would send public dollars private company disband after-school care hurt school poor neighborhoods shrink rank teachers make hard many afford college devos currently work major transformations student loan budget suggest change income-based repayment plan end loan forgiveness workers public sector devos say would clear confusion around loan state aim give parent choices children education devos republicans support charter school publicly fund operate independently frequently corporations well subsidies help pay private-school tuition many republicans panel applaud budget proposal boost school choice program subcommittee senior democrat patty murray say cut highlight ways policies priorities president trump push would hurt students hurt communities represent clear break promise workers middle class senators grill u.s. education secretary proposal slash budget