Senators agree: Dump DeVos
A growing numbers of U.S. senators, including Republicans, are taking a strong and principled stand against Betsy DeVos’ nomination to head the Department of Education. They’ve looked at her experience (or lack thereof), her positions and her disastrous Jan. 17 performance in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and concluded she’s not qualified for the job. We expect that number to grow as key votes on her nomination approach. (If you want to thank the senators for their stand, click on their names and that will take you to their websites.)
We’ve collected selections of their public statements from a number of senators who have publicly announced their opposition. Here is some of what they said.
Members of the Senate HELP committee:
Susan Collins, R-Maine
“The mission of the Department of Education is broad, but supporting public education is at its core. I am concerned that Mrs. DeVos’ lack of experience with public schools will make it difficult for her to fully understand, identify, and assist with those challenges, particularly for our rural schools in states like Maine.
“In keeping with my past practice, I will vote today to proceed to debate on Mrs. DeVos’ nomination, but I will not, I cannot vote to confirm her as our nation’s next Secretary of Education.”
Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska
“I have serious concerns about a nominee to be Secretary of Education who has been so involved in one side of the equation — so immersed in the push for vouchers — that she may be unaware of what actually is successful in the public schools, and what is broken or how to fix them.
“I have heard from thousands of Alaskans who have shared their concerns about Mrs. DeVos as Secretary of Education, by phone, in person, by email and through petition…. I conclude my remarks to make clear that my colleagues know firmly that I do not intend to vote, on final passage, to support Mrs. DeVos to be Secretary of Education.”
Tammie Baldwin, D-Wisc.
“Wisconsin has a long and proud tradition of supporting quality public education for every student. In fact, from our beginning in 1848, the state constitution provided for a free education for all children in the state. This is a tradition I have a deep respect for and have worked to move forward. It is very important to me that our next Secretary of Education respects this tradition and is committed to it, but after meeting with Betsy DeVos, and participating in the hearing as a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, I don’t believe she does.
“In addition, it is deeply troubling this nominee for Secretary of Education failed to complete her ethics homework and address in a transparent and timely way over 100 potential conflicts of interest prior to last week’s committee hearing. Important questions and concerns remain for Betsy DeVos, which is why I have joined my colleagues in calling for a second committee hearing that would ensure that these and other important issues receive the scrutiny that they deserve.”
Michael Bennet, D-Colo.
“While the Senate engages in partisan squabbles, millions of American kids attend schools that are foreclosing on their future from the start, and millions of American teachers are not adequately supported in their work.
“As a superintendent of an urban school district, the last thing I wanted was the federal government telling me what to do. But I believe we have a profound national interest to ensure that more than only 9 out of 100 kids born into poverty in this country are able to obtain a college degree. We also have a profound national interest to attract the next 1.5 million teachers to teach, especially in our high poverty schools in our cities and rural communities.
There is nothing in conversations with Betsy DeVos, or in her experience in Michigan or Detroit, that gives me confidence that she can lead us in the direction we need, which is to ensure that every kid in America has access to high-quality education, whether or not they are born into wealth. That is why I will vote against this nomination.”
Bob Casey, D-Pa.
“I’m concerned that Ms. DeVos would pursue policies for Pennsylvania students that the New York Times has found to have created ‘a public education fiasco that is perhaps unparalleled in the United States’ in Michigan. Pennsylvania has a near 200 year history of commitment to the public education of our children. In fact, 92 percent of students attend traditional public schools, and charter schools must be public, nonprofit corporations, not for-profit entities. Ms. DeVos has also funded radical organizations that have sought to weaken protections for victims of campus sexual assault and undermine civil rights protections for LGBT students and students with disabilities. I fought hard to pass into law the Campus SaVE Act, which put in place uniform reporting standards for sexual assaults on college campuses. I am offended that President-elect Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of Education has supported efforts to make it harder for campus sexual assault victims to receive justice. Ms. DeVos’ answer to my question, in which she refused to commit to enforcing the current law on campus sexual assault contained in Title IX, was not acceptable. It is not ‘premature’ for a nominee to be Secretary of Education to commit to enforcing campus sexual assault laws. Ms. DeVos would take public education in our nation backward and make it harder for public school students in Pennsylvania to achieve their potential. I will vote against her nomination.”
Maggie Hassan, D-N.H.
“While I’m glad Mrs. DeVos clarified that she is no longer confused about whether the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is a federal law and was able to define the basic tenets of this law, her letter does nothing to reassure me that she will enforce the IDEA or honor our commitment to ensuring that all students receive a free and appropriate public education. In addition, Mrs. DeVos failed to address the original question I posed to her in her confirmation hearing, which was about why she is comfortable with voucher programs that force parents and students to sign away their rights under IDEA.
“Between her lack of experience with public education, her support for diverting taxpayer dollars to private schools without accountability requirements, and her lack of understanding of the challenges facing students with disabilities, Mrs. DeVos has shown herself to be completely unqualified for this position — and her recent letter has only reinforced that she is unfit to serve as Secretary of Education. I will vote against Mrs. DeVos’ nomination and I urge my colleagues to do the same.”
Al Franken, D-Minn.
“One of the most pressing challenges we face as lawmakers, federal officials, and most importantly as adults, is to help provide each and every student with the education they deserve. And I do not believe that Betsy DeVos, a billionaire donor that Donald Trump tapped to run the Education Department, has what it takes to meet that challenge. After a full examination of Ms. DeVos’ record, and based on Tuesday’s hearing-where she failed to adequately answer even the most basic questions about education policy-it’s clear to me that she is not qualified for the demanding job of Education Secretary, which bears responsibility for schools and students in Minnesota and across the country. I will vote no when her name comes up for confirmation.”
Tim Kaine, D-Va.
“I will oppose Betsy DeVos’s nomination. She failed to meet three requirements I consider essential to serving as Secretary of Education — someone who is pro-public schools, pro-accountability and pro-civil rights. Over 90 percent of our nation’s children attend public schools. Anne and I and our kids have all been the beneficiaries of great public schools. Mrs. DeVos has said that public schools are a ‘dead end’ and that ‘government really sucks’ when it comes to education. This statement betrays the commitment of thousands of public school teachers who work hard every day in our public schools, many in tough working conditions, to ensure our children are educated. I could support a nominee who is for expanded options and improvement for all schools, public and private, but I cannot support a nominee who has a reflexive and ideological bias against public schools.”
“I don’t think it’s too much to ask for a Secretary of Education who will champion our public schools, support equal accountability for all schools receiving taxpayer funding, and support the national consensus that kids with disabilities should have fair learning opportunities. I’m disappointed President Trump didn’t nominate such a champion and I will be opposing the nomination of Betsy DeVos.”
Chris Murphy, D-Conn.
“I will vote NO on Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education.”
“Education has always been personal to me — my mom was a teacher, both of my young sons are in public school, and my wife, a former teacher, has spent her career advocating for low-income students. Every child in this country deserves to have access to a quality education — no matter where they live, the color of their skin, how they learn, or how much money their family has.
“After meeting with Betsy DeVos one-on-one and listening to her responses in the committee hearing, I cannot support her nomination to be the next Secretary of Education. Mrs. DeVos said she supports the rollback of gun-free zones in schools, making students less safe. Her answer to my question about guns in schools, which went viral on the internet, was deeply troubling. And when asked about federal laws protecting students with disabilities, she failed to say she’d enforce them, which is beyond frightening for kids with disabilities and their families. The only thing more frightening is that her shaky answer on protecting kids with disabilities may have been caused by the fact that she didn’t actually know we have a federal law protecting these kids.”
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.
“Betsy DeVos doesn’t have the experience, skills, understanding, or vision to lead the Department of Education at a time when it is more important than ever. From everything we heard & all the questions that still remain, it’s clear Betsy DeVos is the wrong choice to lead the Department of Education.”
Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
“Today, in the HELP committee, I voted against Betsy DeVos for secretary of education. We must strengthen public education in America, not destroy it. In the richest nation in the history of the world, we need to move toward universal childcare and free tuition at public colleges and universities. We must have a qualified and knowledgeable secretary of education, not a multi-billionaire who with her family has made hundreds of millions in campaign contributions to Republicans and right-wing causes. The U.S. Senate should not approve Betsy DeVos as secretary of education.”
Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
“I will vote against Betsy DeVos’s nomination to serve as Secretary of Education because her nomination is not in the best interests of the young people of America. She has repeatedly demonstrated her contempt for public education, she plans to maintain financial ties that could create conflicts of interest, and she is unwilling to commit to be a cop on the beat with for-profit colleges that break the law and cheat students.
“Mrs. DeVos has no record in higher education, but I gave her the opportunity to prove to the American people that she is serious about standing up for students. During her confirmation hearing, I asked Mrs. DeVos basic, straightforward questions about her commitment to protecting students and taxpayers from fraud committed by shady for-profit colleges. But she was unwilling to commit to using the Department’s many tools and resources to keep students from getting cheated.
“Mrs. DeVos’s record on K-12 education has been focused on using her vast fortune to push her own ideology on hardworking families that are just trying to get their kids a decent education in public schools. Not only are her ideas completely uninformed by experience with public schools, but the evidence is clear that her privatization theories are bad for students.
“It is hard to imagine a less qualified or more dangerous person to be entrusted both with our country’s education policy and with a trillion-dollar student loan program. Congress should reject Mrs. DeVos’s nomination.”
Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.
“The brand of ideologically driven education reform Mrs. DeVos has championed is not what Rhode Islanders want. I have received thousands of letters, calls, and emails in opposition to her nomination, many of them citing the school voucher and privatization agenda Mrs. DeVos and her allies imposed in Michigan. Rhode Island parents, teachers, and students have seen the poor results of that agenda and do not want it in our schools.
“I am also deeply concerned with this nominee’s potential conflicts of interest and lack of transparency. Mrs. DeVos has failed to address these issues, despite numerous requests for information from me and other members of the Committee. We still do not know the extent of her ties to shadowy organizations designed to shield special interests from public scrutiny or whether she has disentangled herself fully from knotty investments. She needed to put these concerns to rest with thorough disclosures to us, but she hasn’t come close.
“This is why Mrs. DeVos is wholly unqualified for this role and I cannot support her nomination.”
Many senators who do not serve on the HELP committee have said they will vote no when DeVos’ nomination comes to a vote in the full Senate. Among them:
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
“The President’s decision to ask Betsy DeVos to run the Department of Education should offend every single American man, woman, and child who has benefitted from the public education system in this country. Public education has lifted millions out of poverty, has put millions in good paying jobs, and has been the launching pad for people who went on to cure disease and to create inventions that have changed our society for the better.
“Betsy DeVos would single-handedly decimate our public education system if she were confirmed. Her plan to privatize education would deprive students from a good public education, while helping students from wealthy families get another leg up. It would deprive teachers of a decent salary, and it would make it harder for parents to get a good education for their kids.
“I will vote no, and I will do it proudly.”
Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.
“I want to thank my colleagues on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee for their work last week. At Tuesday night’s hearing on the nomination of Betsy DeVos to be Secretary of Education, their pointed questioning exposed her for what she is: unknowledgeable, unprepared and unqualified for this job. She evaded questions about dedicating resources to learning and bringing accountability to schools — but refused to commit to keeping guns out of our classrooms. And the fact that she didn’t even know that the statutory protection regarding discrimination against children with disabilities is a matter of federal law shows you something about her commitment to equal opportunity in education across the country. Her statements at the hearing are backed up by her dismal record in Michigan, where she advocated for an expansion of failing for-profit charter schools that under performed while siphoning money from already underfunded public school systems. Our students deserve better, and as lawmakers, we should demand better. That’s why I’ll be voting against Betsy DeVos.”
Cory Booker, D-N.J.
“After her confirmation hearing, I still have serious concerns about Betsy DeVos leading the Department of Education and will not be voting to confirm her.
“I have long-supported targeted, accountable school choice initiatives to help ensure that poor children in chronically failing schools have the opportunity to receive a quality public education. But there are a number of departures between Mrs. DeVos’ policy beliefs and mine that prevent me from supporting her.
“In addition, the Department of Education has vast responsibilities, from its Office of Civil Rights to its oversight of higher education. Mrs. DeVos’ record and testimony raise a number of concerns in these other critical areas of the Secretary of Education’s responsibilities that substantively contributes to my conclusion not to support her.
Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio
“If Betsy DeVos wants to support education, she can start by paying the $5 million she owes Ohio taxpayers — that could support nearly 100 more teachers across our state. Instead of paying what she owes the people of Ohio, Betsy DeVos has spent millions pushing the same style of for-profit education that’s ripped off Ohio taxpayers and short-changed our students. I cannot support Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education, because I cannot look Ohio parents in the eye and tell them she won’t put profits ahead of their children’s education.”
Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.
“Public education boosts millions out of poverty and gives every student a chance to succeed. Yet Betsy DeVos misses the importance of public schools to working families. When it came to protecting students with disabilities, Mrs. DeVos showed a lack of understanding for federal disability laws in education that ensure every child receives a high-quality education.
“We need a Secretary of Education who will move public education forward and ensure all children are getting the best education possible. I will be voting NO on Mrs. DeVos’ nomination.”
Ben Cardin, D-Md.
“Last week, Mrs. DeVos appeared before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to articulate her views on how to best serve our nation’s students. I was deeply troubled by her lack of support for our nation’s public schools, failure to recognize the critical federal civil rights safeguards for children with disabilities, the inability to offer an opinion on long-standing debates with the education community that she would be expected to lead as Secretary of Education, and her noncommittal stance on how to provide students and their families with an affordable higher education. Our children deserve a strong advocate, not an adversary.
“Although I believe Mrs. DeVos is very sincere in her beliefs, taken together, those beliefs would severely harm America’s public education system and pile on needless costs to students and their families, and the American taxpayers. I cannot support her nomination for the position of Secretary of Education.”
Chris Coons, D-Del.
“I will be voting no on Betsy DeVos — her privatization agenda isn’t just extreme, it’s been a failure for children…. She’s someone where many of us are going to vote not just no, but no way.”
Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev.
“Betsy DeVos has no background in public education. In fact, her only experience for this job is her decades of fighting to divert money away from public education to support charter schools and vouchers for private, religious schools — an ideological cause that has been disastrous for her home state and is diametrically opposed to the Department of Education’s mission of ensuring equal access to a great education. Under questioning, Betsy DeVos appeared to be wildly out of her depth on major policy areas that would be under her jurisdiction if she were confirmed. Her responses and views on issues like measuring student progress, enforcing civil rights and anti-LGBT discrimination laws, serving children with disabilities, and protecting students from sexual assault and gun violence were not reassuring.
“Nevada students, parents and teachers deserve an Education Secretary who will fight for the success of our public schools, not one whose life’s mission has been to undermine the promise of a high quality education for every child, no matter their zip code. While Republicans are hoping to ram through her confirmation with as little public scrutiny as possible, yesterday’s hearing made abundantly clear to me that Betsy DeVos is not equipped to lead the Department of Education.”
Joe Donnelly, D-Ind.
“Every Hoosier deserves access to a quality education — it’s a cornerstone of our democracy and prepares our students to enter the workforce, secure good-paying jobs and succeed. After reviewing her record, I share the concerns expressed by many Hoosier educators, students, and families that Betsy DeVos lacks the commitment to public education needed to effectively lead the Department of Education. I am concerned she will not prioritize efforts that are important to Hoosier families, like: expanding access to early childhood education, improving our public schools, and empowering student borrowers and reducing federal student loan debt. While I will vote against her nomination, I will continue fighting for our students because ensuring they have access to good schools and teachers not only lays a solid foundation for our students to reach their potential, but also helps increase economic opportunity.”
Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.
“A number of you have reached out to me about your concerns with Betsy DeVos’s nomination to be Education Secretary. I want to let you know that I share your concerns. I will be voting against her confirmation and I will urge my fellow Senators to do the same. Students, parents and teachers deserve an Education Secretary whose commitment to public education and safe schools will not waver. If public education fails, America fails, and I do not believe Mrs. DeVos shares my commitment to a strong public education system.”
Martin Heinrich, D-N.M.
“As somebody who went to public school myself and is sending my sons to public school I simply cannot support Betsy DeVos as our next Education Secretary. She has spent years and millions and millions of dollars to weaken the kinds of public schools that many New Mexicans rely on.
“We need an Education Secretary who is committed to ensuring that every single student has access to quality education, regardless of their background or what zip code they live in. Like the thousands of New Mexicans I’ve heard from recently, including many teachers, I don’t believe that Ms. DeVos has shown this commitment.”
Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D.
“I cannot support Betsey DeVos to serve as the secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. After watching the U.S. Senate hearing on Ms. DeVos’ nomination, it was clear that she doesn’t understand the importance of public schools — highlighting her preference for private schools and her work to accomplish that goal by taking public funds away from public schools. She showed her severe lack of knowledge about rural public schools, which represent about one-third of public schools nationwide. And she doesn’t have a grasp of basic education policy or laws supporting students with disabilities, yet she wants to run the federal agency overseeing the education of our kids. Simply, we need an education secretary who puts students first and will work to strengthen public school education, not someone who would privatize it as Betsy DeVos would.”
Angus King, I-Maine
“To say she’s a proponent of school choice is an understatement. Her whole career has been school choice to the exclusion of the basic public education system, and I am just such a firm believer in public education that I can’t go that far.”
“Nobody argues that the public education system is perfect or can’t be improved, and I think that’s where the emphasis should be. I’m a product of public schools. My parents went to public schools. My kids went to public schools. My dad used to say that public schools are the idea at the heart of democracy. I would hate to depart from that in a wholesale fashion, which is what she seems to intend to do.”
Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.
On Twitter: “I am not voting for DeVos.”
Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.
“As a former Governor, I understand how crucial it is for an executive leader to have his team in place, but I have serious concerns about the qualifications of Betsy DeVos. Betsy DeVos has spent her entire career advocating for school choice including public school vouchers and charter schools. This approach does not match the needs of our rural communities in West Virginia and would pull already limited public school resources from the schools, students and teachers that need them most.
“Betsy DeVos has never attended or worked in a public school. The needs facing rural schools in West Virginia are unique and her lack of exposure to public education is very concerning for me. We need an Education Secretary who has an understanding of the needs of all children, including those with disabilities, and is committed to ensuring they receive a quality education. Every child in West Virginia deserves a quality education and I do not believe that Betsy DeVos is qualified to serve in this role, which is so vital to the future of our state.”
Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.
“I will be voting against Betsy DeVos because I don’t think she’s qualified. If she doesn’t know what IDEA is, if she doesn’t know the difference between proficiency and growth, she doesn’t belong in that job.”
Bob Menendez, D-N.J.
“We should not entrust the future of our children to someone who has never participated in our public education system — either as a student, parent, administrator, or educator — and fundamentally misunderstands vital pieces of federal legislation like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Mrs. DeVos’ only education policies have expressly sought to pull funding away from our public schools. Instead, we should be increasing our investment in the next generation, and guaranteeing that a free, high-quality education is the birthright of every American.”
Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.
“Betsy DeVos is uniquely unqualified and poses a serious threat to our public education system. For years, she has waged a war on Michigan’s public schools — diverting money into private schools and charter schools with no accountability or oversight. In last week’s hearing, she expressed support for defunding public schools, appeared unfamiliar with basic education policy, and stated that it was ‘best left to the states’ whether publicly-funded schools must follow federal civil rights laws protecting students with disabilities. She even seems to believe there’s a place for guns in our schools to protect against…. grizzly bears? We cannot afford to fail our children like that. We demand better than DeVos for Oregon’s education system.”
Bill Nelson, D-Fla.
“I will be joining my Republican colleagues Susan Collins [of Maine] and Lisa Murkowski [of Alaska] in voting ‘no’ against Betsy DeVos.”
Gary Peters, D-Mich.
“I have reviewed her resume, her interview, and her track record and I have no confidence that Mrs. DeVos will fully support our traditional public schools, our teachers, our parents and most importantly our children, who only get one shot to get an excellent K-12 education.
“Her approach to education has failed the children of Michigan and her confirmation process gives me no reason to think she will bring a more successful approach to our nation. American children deserve the opportunity for a quality education no matter who they are and no matter where they live.
“I stand with the many educators and parents in Michigan and across this nation when I say: Mrs. DeVos lacks the experience, qualifications and the right vision to oversee our nation’s education system. Simply put, our children deserve better.”
Jack Reed, D-R.I.
“Ms. DeVos flunked her confirmation hearing and is not the right person for the job. Our Secretary of Education should be a champion for all children — not someone like Ms. DeVos who suggested that a landmark civil rights law should be left up to states.
“As a lobbyist, Ms. DeVos helped reduce school oversight and accountability in Michigan and promoted the diversion of taxpayer dollars toward private schools.
“Given her ties to for-profit education companies that will be directly impacted by Department of Education decisions, it is hard to fathom how she could fully untangle herself from a thick web of conflicts.
“Neither her background, nor her testimony before the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee inspire confidence that she has the experience or vision necessary to oversee national education policy, including higher education and the management of a $1 trillion student loan portfolio.”
Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii
“People are starting to realize that a lot of these nominees are going to do violence to the agencies that they want to run. We have a nominee for the education department who basically will not commit to public education and doesn’t understand the law at its most basic level and won’t commit to not privatizing public education.”
Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.
“Our conversation reaffirmed my strong concerns about her nomination. Betsy DeVos and her family have a long record of pushing policies that I believe have seriously undermined public education in Michigan and failed our children. Therefore, I cannot support her.”
Jon Tester, D-Mont.
“After meeting with Mrs. DeVos, seeing her confirmation hearing and hearing from hundreds of Montanans, I cannot in good conscience vote to confirm her as Education Secretary. As a former school board member, teacher, and as a graduate of public schools, I know how fundamental public education is to our democracy. Strengthening our public education system for all students should be the goal of any Education Secretary and it is clear to me that Mrs. DeVos prioritizes private schools over public ones. That would put our students, Montana’s rural communities, and our very democracy at risk.”
Tom Udall, D-N.M.
“Betsy DeVos has neither the experience nor the commitment to public education to serve as an effective advocate for New Mexico’s or America’s students. In her confirmation hearings, Mrs. DeVos showed a severe lack of knowledge about the experience of public school students and young people struggling to repay their student loans, and she clearly does not possess the expertise needed to run the Department of Education. Rather, Mrs. DeVos is a billionaire donor who has spent her fortune on the campaigns of Republican politicians and on advancing her dangerous ideologies. President Trump’s nomination of someone as unqualified as Mrs. DeVos shows the sheer emptiness of his promise to ‘drain the swamp’ of special interests.
“Mrs. DeVos seems to think that the rules don’t apply to her — but I have very clear criteria for what I’m looking for in a Secretary of Education. Our nation needs a Secretary of Education who has the qualifications, the knowledge, and the dedication to ensure that all kids — regardless of background or ZIP code — have the chance to succeed. Mrs. DeVos does not meet that standard, and I will oppose her nomination.”
Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.
“The education and success of our children is central to the hopes and dreams of every family in Maryland and across the country, and it is integral to our nation’s future. With that in mind, the Department of Education is charged with one of America’s most critical tasks — providing all children, in every neighborhood, from pre-K to college, with the tools they need to reach their dreams. It is a department that needs strong leadership with a clear vision. And after this week’s confirmation hearing, it is apparent that Betsy DeVos is not the right person for the job.
“I do not believe that she has the experience necessary to manage such a vital agency or the demonstrated commitment to equal access to a high-quality education for every child. I cannot support Mrs. DeVos’s nomination as Secretary of the Department of Education.”
Mark Warner, D-Va.
“I have heard from thousands of my constituents with concerns that Ms. DeVos’ single-minded focus on charter schools and voucherizing federal education dollars is out of step with the education climate in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Additionally, countless calls and letters from educators and parents of students with special needs have emphasized concerns about Ms. DeVos’ commitment to enforcing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Further, her testimony before the Senate HELP Committee leaves questions in my mind about her understanding of policies related to campus sexual assault, student achievement, and school safety. As a Governor who made one of the largest single investments in K-12 education in Virginia history, I will not stand by and allow the Commonwealth’s high-quality public school system to be undermined.
“Access to a quality public education is key to ensuring every child has a fair shot, and the Secretary of Education’s role in safeguarding students’ civil rights and safety cannot be understated. Ms. DeVos has not demonstrated that she appreciates the scope of these responsibilities, or that she is prepared to effectively fulfill them. For these reasons, I will not be supporting her nomination to be Secretary of Education.”
Ron Wyden, D-Ore.
“A bedrock principle of America’s public educational system is investing public money in schools meant to serve everyone, not siphoning off scarce taxpayer dollars to private or religious education. Unfortunately, the president-elect’s choice for Education Secretary has indicated she supports an approach that flies in the face of America’s long-time, common-sense investment in public education opportunities that recognizes education is an essential rung to climb the economic ladder.
“At her nomination hearing yesterday, Betsy DeVos also wavered on fundamental issues like keeping our students safe from gun violence, working to end sexual assault on college campuses, ensuring students with disabilities get a quality education and protecting all students against discrimination and harassment.
“For those reasons and others, I will be voting against the nomination of Betsy DeVos and I will be working to hold the next administration accountable for ensuring the safety of our students and keeping educational opportunities open to all.”
