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Betsy DeVos Confirmed
After Pence Tie-Breaker
VP Mike Pence has made the record books. Â For the first time in US history, the President of the Senate was called on to cast the tie-breaking vote for a cabinet nominee, confirming Betsy DeVos as the next Secretary of Education.
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With senators stuck in a 50-50 stalemate, Mike Pence traveled down to the US Senate on Tuesday and cast the 51st vote, handing DeVos the keys to the US educational system and control of the school needs of millions of America’s children.
As of only a few days ago, the confirmation of Betsy DeVos was in critical condition. Democrats and Republicans alike were deeply concerned about her extremely poor performance during the confirmation hearings, as well as the millions she donated to the Trump campaign that assured her nomination. Not only were senators leery of her colossal lack of experience with public schools and plans to take money from public institutions in favor of vouchers for charter schools, but they joined teacher’s unions in being angered and absolutely shocked at her suggestion that a Wyoming school should be armed with guns so as to protect from grizzly bears.
Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine were the highest profile GOP members to join Democrats in their angst against DeVos.  Democrats debated through the night and into Tuesday morning in a last-ditch attempt to derail DeVos. They took shifts in the Senate arguing against DeVos and pleading that they needed “Just one more!” to lure away a lone Republican vote to secure defeat.  However, it was all for naught, as Senate Republican leaders succeeded in ushering through Donald Trump’s toughest confirmation battle yet, in a fight very few expected to be as tough as it was.
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On Tuesday afternoon, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer voiced his displeasure with the vote, tweeting, “Today @VP Mike Pence did something no one else has ever done: cast the tie-breaking vote on his own cabinet nominee.”
Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut appeared on CNN saying DeVos seems to have no knowledge of the federal law that protects students with disabilities.
“You put those two things together, lack of compassion for what’s happened to places like Sandy Hook and an inability to just understand the basic law around vulnerable students and it was clear at the end of that hearing that this was someone who shouldn’t be the secretary of education,” the Democrat said.
However, Betsy DeVos took to social media with glee, tweeting “I appreciate the Senate’s diligence & am honored to serve as @usedgov Secretary. Let’s improve options & outcomes for all US students.”
With Betsy DeVos soon to be behind the wheel at the Department of Education, God save the children of America!
God save the children of America is right. Smh