Senate Committee Clears DeVos for Final Confirmation Vote

A pair of Republican senators announced Wednesday that they’ll vote against Betsy DeVos to be Secretary of Education, leaving President Trump’s pick in jeopardy of collapse. “If Betsy DeVos can buy Senator Toomey’s vote, we should be allowed to do the same”.

DeVos later said that she had misunderstood the question and vowed to committee members that she would support any federal laws in place and not attempt to push states to accept vouchers or school choice at the expense of public schools.

“I am concerned that Mrs. DeVos’s lack of experience with public schools will make it hard for her to fully understand, identify and assist with those challenges, particularly for our rural schools in states like Maine”, she says.

“She is an unbelievable, remarkable woman who has fought very hard to improve our nation’s education system and to make sure that schools are serving children”, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Friday.

Criticism of DeVos arose nearly immediately over her staunch advocacy of charter schools and education vouchers, a hardline position foes believe could endanger the USA public education system. High-performing schools – be they rural, urban or suburban – should determine how to best address their community’s unique educational needs rather than conform to broad, one-size-fits-all standards issued at the federal level, and I made that clear to her. “I believe that she is a good person”. That means her confirmation appears likely to proceed, with Vice President Mike Pence poised to cast a tie-breaking vote to confirm her, unless another senator who had previously indicated support decides to not to vote for her, or a Democrat decides to cross party lines and vote in favor of her. Sen.

DeVos faces fierce opposition from education and civil rights groups, many of whom have stood up to oppose her in just the past few days.

With Murkowski and Collins defecting for the confirmation vote, the expected tally is 50-50. “Whether or not you agree with Betsy. one would hope that a United States senator’s word is their bond and we have every reason to believe that it is”. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine. “Specifically, her lack of knowledge of the IDEA is disturbing and offensive to us”.

Murkowski and Collins, however, will vote with other Republicans to end the debate on DeVos.

But Fischer also said that she has received “a number of assurances” from the nominee.

The exception would be voting DeVos down or forcing her to withdraw – which would mark a unique rebuke for President Donald Trump. Other boards that passed similar motions include those of East Lansing Public Schools and Ann Arbor Public Schools. Betsy DeVos, a billionaire champion of private and charter schools, failed that test in Collins’ estimation.

At her confirmation hearing, she acknowledged in answering a question from Sen.