WASHINGTON — Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Wednesday faces more questions from Democrats in Congress, two weeks after she was sharply criticized for plans to cut $18 million from Special Olympics.

Facing widespread condemnation for the proposal, President Donald Trump and DeVos, a wealthy former school-choice advocate in Michigan, abruptly backed off that budget demand. But members of the House Education and Labor Committee say they still have a lot to ask her about her department's plans.

According to the committee, Chairman Bobby Scott, D-Va., and members expect to question DeVos on a range of topics.

Federal tax credits for giving to private schools

DeVos is likely to be questioned on proposals for a federal tax credit for any money businesses or individuals donate for scholarships to religious or private schools in states that have their own tax-credit for such scholarships.

DeVos says it doesn't take away any federal funding from public schools — but it would mean that the federal government would take in less in taxes overall and potentially undermine support for traditional schools.

Making it harder to forgive student debt

She also is likely to be questioned on her efforts to make it harder for student loan borrowers to be forgiven for debts even in cases where they claim they were misled by false promises or fraud by for-profit schools.

DeVos had argued the debt forgiveness rules were too lenient though a judge last year ruled against her rules to change the procedures. The department has been writing a new rule that hasn't been made public yet but which apparently drops some of the tougher provisions.

Arming teachers, racial disparities, sexual assault rules

And she will also be questioned about her decisions to get rid of recommendations put in place under former President Barack Obama to combat racial disparities in how school discipline is administered, change rules as to how universities and colleges handle sexual assault allegations that critics say offer more protection for the accused, and suggestions that federal funds could be used to help arm school personnel among others.

Wednesday's hearing, beginning at 9 a.m., is the first time DeVos will be questioned by the committee since Democrats took control of the U.S. House in January. Two new members from Michigan sit on the panel — U.S. Reps. Andy Levin, D-Bloomfield Township, and Haley Stevens, D-Rochester Hills.

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Levin said he is particularly concerned about students who are waiting for student loan claims to be processed against colleges that closed or otherwise scammed them.

"These are students who have been misled and defrauded by bad actors, and the Department of Education is keeping them on the hook for loans that have been forgiven," he said. "This is part of an alarming pattern from the secretary: being more concerned about people at the top than students and consumers."

DeVos and the department have maintained, however, that changes to the process are needed to weed out more frivolous claims and protect legitimate ones.

$60 million more for charter schools

Stevens said she wants to question DeVos on her commitment to charter schools and the Trump administration's plan to add some $60 million in funds to those programs while cutting some $7 billion in other Education Department initiatives.

Last month, a nonprofit group said in a report that as much as $1 billion in funding had been lost on charter schools that never opened or closed because of problems. DeVos, however, has continued to press for funding for school choice, saying that parents and students should be able to go to the school they want — a suggestion that many public school supporters say undermines traditional schools.

“At every turn, Secretary DeVos has sought to undermine the commitments we have made to our students and teachers," Stevens said. "I am looking forward to the opportunity to ask (her) about her department’s policies on K-12 public education. In particular, I am interested to hear how she justifies cuts to programs that help students in Michigan, and whether she thinks the charter school system has improved educational outcomes in our state.”

Contact Todd Spangler attspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@tsspangler. Read more onMichigan politics and sign up for ourelections newsletter.