Murray on Confirmation of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education: This is Not The End of the Story - I Will Keep Up the Fight

Statement

Today, the Senate confirmed Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education in a tie vote of 50-50, broken by Vice President Mike Pence. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, led Senate Democrats in a 24-hour final debate prior to today's vote. Senator Murray released the following statement after DeVos' confirmation, ensuring that this is not the end of the story, and that the fight to defend strong public education will go on.

"We may not have won this fight today, but people across the country have stood up and made their voices heard on the importance of strong public education in America, and we are not going to stand down.

"Republicans ignored the pressure from their constituents and jammed this nomination through with a historic tie-breaking vote from Vice President Pence. But it was truly inspiring to see millions of people energized and making their voices heard. People wrote letters, called offices, posted on social media, and showed up to protest this nomination--many of whom had never done anything like that before.

"The reason that opposition to Betsy DeVos caught fire is clear. To so many of us, education hits so close to home--it's about our kids, our grandkids, and our communities. We believe that a commitment to strong public education for every student in our country is such a core part of the American promise, and we were proud to stand up and fight back against someone who threatened that.

"Betsy DeVos will be our next Secretary of Education, but it is clear that people across the country and Democrats and Republicans here in the Senate believe that we should work together to strengthen public education, not privatize or defund it. So I am hopeful that she enters her new role taking this to heart, and ready to adjust her views. I know that millions of people across the country who have been activated and energized by opposition to this nomination do not consider this to be the end of the story, and I plan to keep up the fight by their side to hold Betsy DeVos accountable and push her to do the right thing for parents and students."

This is the first time in history that a cabinet nominee was confirmed by a Vice President's tie-breaking vote. Senate Republicans rushed through the nomination of DeVos even though serious questions remain about her tangled finances and potential conflicts of interest, and her nomination has generated overwhelming public outcry across the country. Senate Democrats and Republicans have received hundreds of thousands of calls, emails, and petitions from constituents expressing their deep concern with DeVos' qualifications and positions.

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