Education Secretary McMahon plans $43,000 on office furniture while seeking to close department
The New York Times reported that Education Secretary Linda McMahon plans to spend about $43,000 on new office furniture, as she lobbies Congress to close her department. Her team says the old furniture doesn't fit the new space.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2US Education Secretary Linda McMahon plans to spend about $43,000 on new furniture for her government office, according to Education Department records reviewed by The New York Times. The Straits TimesRC “US Education Secretary Linda McMahon plans to spend US$43,000 (S$55,000) on new furniture for her government office” Read at The Straits Times ↗ The IndependentLC “In total, $43,278.64 will be shelled out for chairs, a conference table, a desk and other pieces.” Read at The Independent ↗ Mixed · 2The records had not been publicly disclosed. They say her team told Congress that her current furniture is worn out and "cannot be configurationally or aesthetically integrated into the agency's new office space". The Straits TimesRC “that have not been publicly disclosed” Read at The Straits Times ↗ The IndependentLC “cannot be configurationally or aesthetically integrated into the agency’s new office space,”” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 1Education Department press secretary Savannah Newhouse told the Times: "Believe it or not, just like in the private sector, new federal offices need places to sit, write and meet." She added that the department, which recently moved to a smaller building amid sweeping layoffs, is "saving taxpayers millions of dollars". The IndependentLC ““Believe it or not, just like in the private sector, new federal offices need places to sit, write and meet,” Savannah Newhouse”“is “saving taxpayers millions of dollars.”” Read at The Independent ↗
Mixed · 2The spending comes while McMahon lobbies Congress to shut down the department, which was founded in 1979. The Independent reports that about 43 percent of its staff has been laid off or has left, and that many functions have been moved to other departments. The Straits TimesRC “a work space makeover that comes as she lobbies Congress to shut down her department” Read at The Straits Times ↗ The IndependentLC “About 43 percent of the department’s staff has been laid off or departed” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 1Closing the department would require legislation, and the Republican-controlled Congress has not voted for it. McMahon told Fox News that Congress must vote on it, "if I, in fact, am able to fire myself". The IndependentLC “Doing so would require Congressional legislation, and the GOP-controlled Congress has not voted in favor of the move.”“if I, in fact, am able to fire myself,”” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 1The Independent notes earlier Trump-era office spending rows: in 2018 Ben Carson cancelled a $31,000 dining set order after backlash, and Ryan Zinke spent $139,000 on door upgrades. It also cites a YouGov survey from last year in which 58 percent opposed dismantling the department and 29 percent favoured it. The IndependentLC “In 2018, then-Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson canceled an order for a $31,000 dining set after facing backlash.”“58 percent of respondents said they opposed dismantling the Education Department, while 29 percent said they favored it.” Read at The Independent ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Frames the purchase as ironic given McMahon's push to close the department, and places it among earlier Trump-cabinet office-spending rows, while including the department's rebuttal.
- Emphasis
- Itemised total, layoffs, the 43% staff loss, public opposition polling and the Carson and Zinke precedents.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not note that the records were previously undisclosed.
- Charged language
- “spruce up”“shelled out”
- For example
-
“Linda McMahon wants to spend $43,000 to spruce up her office furniture even though she wants to close the department” — The Independent
“She’s not the first Trump Cabinet official to face scrutiny over spending on office revamps” — The Independent
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Leads with the contrast between the spending and the push to close the department, while giving her team's explanation prominence in the lede.
- Emphasis
- The team's explanation that the furniture is worn out and won't fit the new space; that the records were undisclosed.
- Leaves out or plays down
- The available coverage has no department rebuttal on savings, no staff-cut figures and no historical comparisons.
- Charged language
- “work space makeover”
- For example
-
“Her team says the current furniture is worn out and will not fit the new office space.” — The Straits Times
“a work space makeover that comes as she lobbies Congress to shut down her department” — The Straits Times
What every side reports
- McMahon plans to spend about $43,000 on new office furniture.
- The figure comes from Education Department records reviewed by The New York Times.
- Her team says the current furniture cannot be integrated into the new office space.
- McMahon is seeking to close the Education Department.
Linda McMahon person
McMahon's team says the old furniture is worn out and doesn't fit the new office; she says her aim is to close the department, which needs a vote by Congress.
“cannot be configurationally or aesthetically integrated into the agency’s new office space”” — The Straits Times
“if I, in fact, am able to fire myself,”” — The Independent
Left1 article
-
Critical Highlights the irony of the spending and adds precedents and context, while including the department's response.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
-
US Education Secretary spends US$43,000 on new furniture even as she looks to close dept
Neutral Short report relaying the Times story, pairing the spending with the closure push and her team's explanation.
- 29 Oct 03:20 First The Straits TimesRC US Education Secretary spends US$43,000 on new furniture even as she looks to close dept
- 29 Oct 15:19 +12h The IndependentLC Linda McMahon wants to spend $43,000 to spruce up her office furniture even though she wants to close the department
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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