Senate Confirms DeVos as Secretary of Education

Washington DC – In the closest confirmation vote for a Secretary of Education to date, Betsy DeVos was confirmed by the narrow margin of 51-50, with the historic tie-breaking vote coming from Vice President Mike Pence. Following the decision, Mark Huelsman, Senior Policy Analyst and higher education expert at Demos, issued the follow statement:

“The unprecedented level of uncertainty shown by both Democrats and Republicans surrounding Betsy DeVos’ ability to serve as Secretary of Education should have been enough to disqualify her from assuming this position.

“In the weeks preceding this vote, legislators saw an outpouring of opposition to her nomination from their constituents. However, by choosing to confirm DeVos, the Senate has chosen to ignore the real warning signs posed by her inability to commit to protecting students and borrowers, fight for student aid and debt relief programs, and articulate a vision of how to make college affordable for all Americans.

“While we have no assurances that DeVos will champion the change our education system truly needs, we will continue to advocate for policies that support affordable higher education and equal access for all students.”

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Contact: Charlie DiPasquale | 240.481.6632 | [email protected]