Education Policy, Business and Technology

Senate panel votes in favor of Betsy DeVos, Trump's education secretary pick

Washington Post: A Senate panel on Tuesday narrowly voted in favor of President Trump’s nominee for education secretary, Betsy DeVos, sending her nomination to the full Senate for final approval. All 12 Republicans on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions voted in favor of sending her nomination to the Senate floor, while all 11 Democrats voted against. Democrats immediately challenged the vote, arguing that since one of the Republicans — Sen. Orrin G. Hatch of Utah — voted by proxy, his vote doesn’t count under committee rules, and the outcome was really a 11-11 tie. Republicans refuted that point and then revoted with Hatch present — over the objections of Democrats, who said another vote could not happen without official notice. Again, the vote was 12-11. Two Republicans, Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), made clear that they have not yet decided how they will vote on the floor, suggesting that DeVos’s confirmation is not yet assured.

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