.@VP Pence breaks tie. U.S. Senate confirms #BetsyDeVos to be Secretary of Education, 51-50. https://t.co/xgthuQB51c #BREAKING pic.twitter.com/31G9l5tvc9
— CSPAN (@cspan) February 7, 2017
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has confirmed school choice activist Betsy DeVos as Education secretary, with Vice President Mike Pence breaking a 50-50 tie.
The Senate historian says it was the first time a vice president had to break a tie on a Cabinet nomination.
Two Republicans joined Democrats Tuesday to vote to derail DeVos’ nomination. Democrats cited her lack of public school experience and financial interests in organizations pushing charter schools. DeVos has said she would divest herself from those organizations.
Republicans Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska fear that DeVos’ focus on charter schools will undermine remote public schools in their states.
In an earlier tweet, President Donald Trump wrote “Betsy DeVos is a reformer, and she is going to be a great Education Sec. for our kids!”
1 comment
Another example of how the government wants to hold on to all control over American citizens. Only our Federal Government officials would want an education secretary in charge that would keep the system as it is. Corrupt and Broken. I spent a fortune for private school to avoid the government run public schools and the teachers unions (that think they can parent my child better than his\her own parents can) while I paid taxes to support the giant monster that are the public schools. Both my children graduated with degrees, no pregnancies, no arrests, no suspensions, no fights, no bullying, no political agenda pushed on them by teachers. If it has to be public may as well be a charter school. It is a start.