Congressman Lieu Statement on Betsy DeVos' Upcoming Senate Confirmation Vote

Statement

Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D | Los Angeles County) issued the following statement regarding the upcoming full Senate confirmation vote for Betsy DeVos as Secretary of the Department of Education. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions has approved DeVos' confirmation by a party line vote.

"Donald Trump*** has nominated many individuals for the Cabinet that I oppose based on their extreme views. He has also nominated a person who fits an even more disturbing category, one known as lack of basic competence. In addition to her extreme views, Betsy DeVos is simply not competent to serve as Education Secretary. She has not attended or worked in public schools and it appears has made no attempt to learn about America's public education system. As we discovered during her confirmation hearing, DeVos doesn't know that disabled students are protected under federal law, nor does she understand the difference between proficiency and growth. It's astonishing and downright scary how little DeVos understands about education policy and the issues facing teachers, administrators, parents and students today."

"The public education system is a public good. My two children go to public school. Every single one of us benefits from living in an educated society, but DeVos has shown no appreciation for this fact. Anyone who cares about providing a quality education to American kids should unequivocally oppose Betsy DeVos' nomination."

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