Posted on 02/03/2017 4:41:01 AM PST by abb
Betsy DeVos, Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Education, overcame a key Senate hurdle early Friday morning, clearing the path for her expected confirmation.
Senators voted 52-48 to advance DeVos’s nomination. No Democrats voted yes.
The vote, which came during a rare Friday session, sets up lawmakers to take a final vote early next week.
Vice President Pence is expected to have to break a 50-50 tie, the first time a vice president will cast the deciding vote on a Cabinet nomination.
Senate rules require an extra 30 hours of debate before senators can confirm DeVos. If Democrats refuse to yield back time and drag out the procedural clock, they could push a final vote until Tuesday.
Republicans have no room for error to clear DeVos, with GOP Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) saying they’ll vote against her.
The GOP mega-donor has been the subject of fierce opposition from teachers unions and other liberal groups opposed to her support for charter schools and tuition vouchers using public funds.
Opponents are hoping to peel off a third Republican senator, but appear unlikely to succeed.
Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), whom the Huffington Post reported as the “best option” for sinking the nomination, announced his support for DeVos late Thursday.
“I am pleased to vote to confirm Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education,” he said in a statement. “Too many American kids are being left behind every day. That is not acceptable to Betsy DeVos, and it is not acceptable to me.”
GOP Sens. John Hoeven (N.D.), Deb Fischer (Neb.) and Dean Heller (Nev.) —each considered potential swing votes — also said this week that they would support Trump’s pick.
Collins separately said that she isn’t trying to sway her GOP colleagues to vote against DeVos.
“I am doing what I think is right, and I respect that each senator has to make up his or her own mind,” she told reporters. “I’m not lobbying. I gave my speech on the floor.”
Opponents have also flooded Senate phone lines urging members to vote against her, and social media feeds have also been hit hard by anti-DeVos messages.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who came out against DeVos on Thursday, noted she had received 95,000 calls, emails and letters opposing her nomination. Murkowski separately said she received “thousands” of calls from concerned constituents.
Senate Democrats blasted DeVos ahead of the vote, arguing her lack of experience with public schools should disqualify her from leading the Education Department.
"When you judge her in three areas — conflicts of interest, basic confidence and ideology, views on Education policy, it is clear that Betsy DeVos is unfit for the job of Education secretary," Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. "In all three areas ... she ranks among the lowest of any cabinet nominee I have ever seen."
Under a 2013 decision, Democrats voted to lower the threshold for lower court and Cabinet posts to a simple majority from the previous 60-vote threshold.
If they hadn’t, Trump’s more controversial nominees, including DeVos and now-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, would likely not have been confirmed.
Despite the pushback, Senate GOP leadership and the White House stayed firmly in DeVos’s corner ahead of Friday’s vote.
“I expect her to be confirmed,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) told reporters. “You can take that to the bank.”
Plum job? In what world?
Like a multi-billionaire doesn't have better things to do with her time on this earth than to take on entrenched bureaucrats and some of the most powerful unions in the country? Plum job my ass.
Hey Susie, who gives a damn about what you think? What do your constituents think? You know, those you represent. Those who gave you your cushy job in the senate.
Apparently you've forgotten who you work for. Term limits NOW.
Rural education is a big bureaucracy in Alaska. I have been in tiny Alaskan villages with less then 100 residents, and a visit to the local school showed me they had about twenty expensive musical instruments available for music class. Extend that approach to every other subject and it gets out of control.
Teaching in very rural Alaska is an adventure. Read excerpts of Gail Sheehy's Passages about the recreation practices of teachers in Bethel.
My opinion is that Alaska spends a lot of tax dollars in the spirit of providing an equal public education for each child.
For what it is worth to me. It was a big waste of money. The residents wanted to learn indigenous skills more then obtain a 'white man's' education.
Yeah your right... poor thing. I hope she makes it through somehow..
If that happens, I would then expect him to switch parties.
Stinking bots probably....
Interesting info. Thanks. I guess that helps explain why Lisa Murkowski was elected on write-in votes. Everyone loves their pork.
Looks like an example of what I recently defined as the “Roberson Rule.”
Roberson Rule
A rule postulating that any and all government programs – federal, state, or local – no matter the program’s intent, level of funding, or degree of popular/political support from conservative or liberals – will eventually undergo metamorphosis into a jobs program.
The original goal will thereby become completely subservient to the bureaucratic need to maintain and grow a vested support group.
The rule was first described by Randy Roberson, (b. 1958 - ) Dubach, Louisiana, USA.
Stinking bots probably....
Charters are the only way to go. They are public schools.That's the problem..."They are public schools"
My three grand kids WENT to a charter school. Christmas was never recognized. Not even Jingle Bells at the "Winter Celebration" pageant.
Be careful what you wish for.
The only thing better is if she actually works to get rid of the "Education" Department which is unconstitutional besides being destructive. (Anything not specified as Fed Government power is left to the states and the people.)
That would def help for sure... I dont know, she doesnt seem all that bright to me... I could be wrong.
All the other picks seem lights out perfect to me, but this one.
They talk about thousands of supporting emails coming in to folks like Pelosi, Murkowski, Feinstein, et. al. I wonder how many of those emails are robo/pseudo traffic from single individuals. I remember hearing about that happening 2 years ago.
I think you mean DOE.
This vote isn’t about education. It’s about whether Trump get’s all his cabinet picks without a defeat.
The education flank of the Democratic party is it’s strongest. If they can’t peel off enough GOP votes.....it’s a very troubling sign.
Regardless of who gets the post, the Department is in for a major overhaul and THEN you’ll see the war break out.
While she's not perfect as I worry about common core, she is a major threat to the public schools culture and for that reason along, she'd be a good fit.
Why would they vote to advance, yet not vote for her in the final vote?
The scripted votes are finally going our way. We win by one. In the past it was always losing by one vote
This vote was to end debate (cloture). Prior to 2013, it would have required 60 votes to accomplish.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloture
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