Betsy DeVos squeaks into office on 51-50 vote

Vice President Pence cast the deciding vote on DeVos, breaking a 50-50 tie after two Republican senators opposed her. It would mark the first time in history a vice president has had to break a tie over a presidential nominee’s confirmation.

Pence joined the remaining 50 Republicans to give DeVos the 51 votes she needed to get the position. “Not only does she have no work experience with K through 12 public education, policy, and law, she has a long record of pushing policies that undermine public education”.

DeVos’ nomination process prompted massive resistance among Senate Democrats, who said their phone lines had been virtually flooded by constituents concerned about her qualifications for a position that has rarely received this much attention. Susan Collins (R-Maine) voting in opposition due to what they said were DeVos’ inexperience with public schools and her career advocacy of private charter schools.

Betsy DeVos, a wealthy Republican donor and longtime school choice advocate, has emerged as one of Trump’s most controversial Cabinet picks. “I can not support her nomination because I’m not convinced that she is interested in bringing Democrats and Republicans together on a shared vision of improving public education in this country”.

Colorado’s US senators split their votes along party lines Tuesday in the historic vote confirming billionaire philanthropist Betsy DeVos as USA education secretary.

“She doesn’t come from a public education”.

Fulton says they are going to be on a very close watch on what DeVos’ decisions are and what her platform is as she moves forward.

For procedural reasons, the earliest the Senate may vote on her confirmation is Tuesday at noon, so Democrats can eat up the remaining hours until the vote by railing against her on the Senate floor.