Betsy DeVos confirmed as US education secretary after Mike Pence breaks vote tie
Updated
US President Donald Trump's choice of billionaire Betsy DeVos to be education secretary has been confirmed by the US Senate, but only after Vice-President Mike Pence was called in to break a tie that threatened to defeat her.
Key points:
- Two Republicans joined 46 Democrats, two independents in opposition to Ms DeVos
- Mr Trump tweeted his congratulations to the nominee and Mr Pence praised her
- Democrats are concerned she will promote charter schools, which operate independently of school districts
The tie-breaking vote, which Senate officials said was unprecedented to confirm a Cabinet nominee, followed an all-night debate on Ms DeVos as Senate Democrats tried to pressure at least one more Republican to oppose her and defeat the nomination.
Only two Republicans joined the 46 Democrats and two independents in opposition to Ms DeVos.
Critics have called her unprepared to lead the Department of Education after a rocky Senate confirmation hearing.
Her detractors have pointed out DeVos has no experience in public schools — which a majority of American students attend — an issue which came under fire during her much-publicised confirmation hearing.
In that hearing, Ms DeVos appeared unfamiliar with basic laws, even suggesting guns in schools could protect students from bears.
She has also been labelled a one-issue nominee, after years of lobbying for giving vouchers to parents so they can choose whether to send their children to private or public schools.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer immediately derided the confirmation hearing.
"This cabinet nom is so unqualified, so divisive, that @MikePenceVP had to drive down Pennsylvania Ave to cast the deciding vote," he wrote in a Twitter post after the vote.
Under the US Constitution, the Vice-President also serves as president of the Senate, with the power to cast votes only when there are ties on nominations or legislation.
Mr Trump tweeted his congratulations to the nominee and Mr Pence praised her.
Ultimately, only Republican senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined the Democrats and two independents in opposition to Ms DeVos.
That left 50 Republicans supporting her in the 100-member chamber.
Historically, Cabinet nominees with weak support in the Senate ask the President to withdraw their nomination, which Ms DeVos did not do.
Who is Betsy DeVos?
Ms DeVos is married to the heir and former chief executive of Amway, which sells household and personal care items.
She is also the daughter of the founders of Prince Corp, a Michigan car parts supplier, and sister of Erik Prince, the founder of the security company formerly known as Blackwater USA, now called Academi.
As the debate wound down, Mr Schumer said of Ms DeVos: "She disdains public education where 90 per cent of our students are".
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, urging her confirmation, said it was time to "end the unprecedented delay by Democrats" on the Cabinet nominations by Mr Trump, who took office on January 20.
Ms DeVos has been an advocate of charter schools, which operate independently of school districts and frequently are run by corporations.
Democrats are concerned she will promote charter schools in a way that would undercut public schools, which have long been the anchor of the US education system.
Teachers unions, a major constituency for the Democratic Party, roundly opposed Ms DeVos to lead the department, which sets education policy for younger children and universities and also administers a college financial aid program of $1 trillion.
Reuters
Topics: us-elections, world-politics, education, united-states
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