WASHINGTON — Betsy DeVos has cleared a major hurdle in the Senate to become the next education secretary, despite vigorous opposition from Democrats.
Senators voted 52-48 to cut off debate before dawn Friday morning, setting the stage for a final confirmation vote next week.
DeVos is a billionaire Republican donor and school choice activist. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York calls her “one of the worst nominees.”
Schumer says, “Ms. Devos does not deserve to be secretary of education.”
President Donald Trump’s nominee has spent more than two decades promoting charter schools across the country. Her nomination has come under fierce criticism from labor unions, who accuse her of seeking to dismantle public education. Two key Republican senators, Maine’s Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, have announced their opposition to DeVos.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.