Free Republic

For the first time in US history, a sitting vice president cast the deciding vote on a Cabinet official’s confirmation. Just a few moments ago, Mike Pence cast his vote to confirm Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education, breaking the expected 50-50 tie.Pence made sure he arrived in plenty of time to cast the vote for DeVos, and CBS News was on scene to catch the moment: MOMENTS AGO: VP Pence arrives on Capitol Hill ahead of Betsy DeVos nomination vote, where he may cast tie-breaking ballot pic.twitter.com/aG5QHvYpwS— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 7, 2017 It’s hardly the first time...

One of the good aspects of federalism is that it allows states to go their own way. As Justice Louis Brandeis put it, they can be “laboratories of democracy.” Unfortunately, that often means that interest groups will capture state legislatures and have their political allies push through foolish legislation that will harm most of the state’s residents while benefiting just a few – mainly their members. (That, incidentally, was true in the case that inspired Brandeis’ observation, New State Ice v. Liebmann. Fortunately, the majority ruled against Oklahoma’s scheme for cartelizing the ice business.) Two states, New York and Rhode...

Shortly after Betsy DeVos was confirmed as Education Secretary on Tuesday, the liberal freak-out began. The pro-choice-except-when-it-comes-to-schools camp erupted on social media, with many vowing not to have children in light of DeVos’ appointment (as if they were planning on having kids anyway).

On the same day the Senate confirmed President Trump’s secretary of Education pick by a historically narrow margin, a House Republican introduced legislation to abolish the entire department Betsy DeVos will lead. Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie’s bill is only a page long, after merely stating the Department of Education would terminate on Dec. 31, 2018. Massie believes that policymakers at the state and local levels should be responsible for education policy, instead of a federal agency that’s been in place since 1980. "Unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. should not be in charge of our children's intellectual and moral development. States...

In a tizzy after Betsy DeVos was confirmed as President Trump’s Sec. of Education, liberals on Twitter started considering the merits of homeschooling for the first time. The irony of invoking the freedom to choose where their kids go to school as a way to protest a pro-school choice Sec. of Education seemed lost on them. {..snip..}

Republicans cheered Tuesday's historic confirmation vote for Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary — Vice President Mike Pence cast the tie-breaking vote — slamming Democrats as obstructionists and saying that President Donald Trump was entitled to his Cabinet picks. "President Trump has assembled a first-class team for his Cabinet, and obstructing all of these confirmation votes is only delaying the important work that needs to be done," Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton said. "In my conversation with Betsy DeVos, I found her to have a deep appreciation for the value of public schools and a special concern for the needs of the...

Vice President Pence holds a swearing-in ceremony for Education Secretary Betsy DeVos

Winning and historic with VP Pence casting tie breaking vote. Now let's get that public school swamp cleaned up and stop the brain washing and indoctrination of the kids.

The Senate narrowly confirmed Betsy DeVos as education secretary on Tuesday, with Vice President Pence casting a historic tiebreaking vote after senators deadlocked over her fitness for the job. The entire Democratic caucus of 48 senators voted against DeVos, as did two Republicans, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, who said they did not think that DeVos was qualified for the job. The remaining 50 Republicans voted for DeVos, setting up a 50-50 tie that Pence broke with his vote at about 12:30 p.m. It marked the first time that a vice president’s tiebreaking vote was needed...

The Senate confirmed Betsy DeVos on Tuesday as education secretary, approving the embattled nominee only with the help of a historic tiebreaking vote from Vice President Mike Pence. The 51-to-50 vote elevates Ms. DeVos — a wealthy philanthropist from Michigan who has devoted much of her life to expanding educational choice through charter schools and vouchers, but has limited experience with the public school system — to be steward of the nation’s schools.

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Betsy DeVos to lead the Department of Education by the slimmest of margins, capping off a rocky, high-stakes fight for President Trump's pick.

The Senate is set for a showdown at noon Tuesday that will likely see Betsy DeVos, President Trump's nominee for education secretary, confirmed by the slimmest of margins with the help of Vice President Mike Pence, who is expected to cast a tie-breaking vote. DeVos, who has been uniformly opposed by Senate Democrats, is perhaps the most reviled pick among Trump's Cabinet and administration selections. A staunch supporter of school choice, DeVos faced contentious confirmation hearings and even saw two Republicans break ranks and oppose her nomination.

Short & Sweet: Senators, Lisa Murkowski & Susan Collins had better cast their votes, today, in the "AFFIRMATIVE" in support of Ms. Devos to become Trumps, Education Secretary!!! Fact: The left-wing, liberal, Democrat "Teacher Unions" have destroyed the effectiveness of the "Public School" system in the USA!!! These two nutcases, best be brought into line by Mitch McConnell...today!!!

Senate Democrats said they plan to hold the floor of the chamber for the next 24 hours, leading up to the vote to confirm President Donald Trump's choice to be education secretary, in hopes of drawing enough attention to the issue to derail Betsy DeVos' nomination. While the Democrats decision to work overnight adds publicity to the topic, the party does not have the numbers to block a final confirmation vote and DeVos is still expected to be voted on for final confirmation Tuesday. "Democrats will hold the floor for the next 24 hours, until the final vote, to do...

Both South Carolina senators have announced support for President Trump's pick for the Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos.

Senate Democrats are planning a rare all-night talkathon to protest Betsy DeVos's nomination for Education secretary ahead of an expected vote on Tuesday."Democrats will hold the floor for the next 24 hours, until the final vote, to do everything we can to persuade just one more Republican to join us," Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said from the Senate floor Monday.

Vice President Mike Pence says he fully expects billionaire GOP donor Betsy DeVos will be confirmed as education secretary with his tie-breaking vote. […] Last week, two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, said they would vote against DeVos’ nomination, citing concerns from parents and teachers. …

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders asked President Trump’s education secretary candidate, Betsy DeVos, whether she would have got the job if her family had not donated $200m to the Republican party. Sanders’ demeaning question was followed with questions promoting his “free college” initiative. “My question is, and I don’t want to be rude, but do you think if you were not a multi-billionaire, if your family had not made hundreds of millions of dollars of contributions to the Republican party that you would be sitting here today?” “Senator, as a matter of fact, I do think there would be that possibility....

In just a matter of days -- perhaps next Monday -- a decision will be made in Washington affecting the futures of millions of children in low-income communities, and in the very troubled area of race relations in America. An opportunity has arisen -- belatedly -- that may not come again in this generation. That is an opportunity to greatly expand the kinds of schools that have successfully educated, to a high level, inner-city youngsters whom the great bulk of public schools fail to educate to even minimally adequate levels. What may seem on the surface to be merely a...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Betsy DeVos moved closer toward confirmation as education secretary Friday after clearing a major hurdle in the Senate, even as Democrats and labor unions fervently sought another Republican vote against her.Tensions flew on the Senate floor during an early-morning session, with a senior Republican saying DeVos will make an "excellent" secretary and a top Democrat calling her "one of the worst nominees." Republicans overpowered Democrats, voting 52-48 to cut off debate on the nomination, setting the stage for a final vote Tuesday.DeVos, a billionaire Republican donor, has faced fierce criticism from labor unions for her promotion of...