Betsy DeVos and the Cowardice of Republicans
“If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you, too?”
If you’re a Senate Republican, the answer is apparently “YES!”
Otherwise, why would all but two such lawmakers vote to confirm Betsy DeVos, the most unqualified candidate for Education Secretary in U.S. history?
During a hearing of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), DeVos showed herself to be hopelessly out of her depth.
She wouldn’t commit to protecting students with special needs.
She wouldn’t commit to keeping guns out of school campuses (because of rampaging Grizzlies).
She wouldn’t commit to holding charter and voucher schools to the same standards as traditional public schools.
She didn’t know the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was a federal law.
And she couldn’t explain the difference between proficiency and growth, two extremely common education terms.
Yet only Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine) joined all Democrats to vote against her. It took Vice President Mike Pence to cast the deciding vote and break the 50-50 tie – the first time that has happened for a Cabinet position.
This is a classic example of money speaking louder than people.
DeVos is a Republican mega-donor. She’s given $200 million to GOP candidates over the years – including many of the Senators who voted to confirm her.
Constituents flooded Senator’s phone lines in the past week, demanding they vote Betsy DeVos and the Cowardice of Republicans | gadflyonthewallblog:
