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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 8 February

DeVos ekes out confirmation win as Pence casts historic vote

MARIA DANILOVA nents noted that she has
Associated Press no experience running
WASHINGTON (AP) — Char- public schools, nor has she
ter school advocate Betsy attended one or sent her
DeVos won confirmation children to one
as U.S. Education secretary She also will have to ad-
Tuesday by the slimmest dress several hot-button is-
of margins, pushed to ap- sues in higher education,
proval only by the historic such as rising tuition costs,
tie-breaking vote of Vice growing student debt and
President Mike Pence. the troubled for-profit col-
Two Republicans, Susan leges, many of which have
Collins of Maine and Lisa closed down, leaving stu-
Murkowski of Alaska, joined dents with huge loans and
Democrats in a marathon without a good education
effort to derail the nomina- or job prospects.
tion of the wealthy Repub- Close attention also will be
lican donor. The Senate paid to how DeVos deals
historian said Pence’s vote with sexual assault and
was the first by a vice presi- freedom of speech on
dent to break a 50-50 tie on campuses.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., center, joined by, from left, Sen. John Barrasso, a Cabinet nomination. Ahead of Tuesday’s vote,
R-Wyo., Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas, meet reporters Despite the win, DeVos emotions ran high as con-
on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017, after the Senate confirmed Betsy DeVos as emerged bruised from the stituents jammed sena-
education secretary. DeVos was approved by the narrowest of margins, with Vice President Mike highly divisive nomination tors’ phone lines. Protesters
Pence breaking a 50-50 tie in a historic vote.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) fight. Opposed by half the gathered outside the Capi-
Senate, she faced criticism, tol, including one person in
even ridicule for lack of a grizzly bear costume to
experience and confusion ridicule DeVos.
during her confirmation Democrats and labor
hearing. At one point, she unions vigorously fought
said some schools should the nomination, suggesting
have guns because of the that DeVos would defund
threat of grizzly bears. traditional public schools
And there has been scath- by diverting taxpayers’
ing opposition from teach- money to charter and pri-
ers unions and civil rights vate institutions. They cit-
activists over her support ed her financial interest in
of charter schools and her organizations pushing for
conservative religious ide- charter schools, though
ology. President Donald she has said she will divest
Trump accused Democrats those interests.
of seeking to torpedo edu- Collins and Murkowski said
cation progress. In a tweet they feared her focus on
before the vote, he wrote, charter schools will under-
“Betsy DeVos is a reformer, mine remote public schools
and she is going to be a in their states.
great Education Sec. for “President Trump’s swamp
our kids!” Pence tweeted got a new billionaire to-
later in the day that sup- day,” the Democratic
porting DeVos was “a vote National Committee said
for every child having a in a statement. “Millions
chance at a world-class of teachers, parents and
education.” students could not have
She now takes the helm made their opposition to
of a department charged Betsy DeVos’ confirma-
with implementing laws af- tion any clearer — they do
fecting the nation’s public not want someone whose
schools with no direct ex- only education experi-
perience with traditional ence is dismantling public
public schools. Her oppo- schools.”q