Franken Still Fighting Now Confirmed Sec. of Education DeVos

“She is the most incompetent cabinet-level nominee I have ever seen.” Sen. Al Franken

Washington, D.C. – Sen. Al Franken (D – MN) is still attacking Sec. of Education Betsy DeVos after she received confirmation on Tuesday.

Despite a 24-hour marathon of speeches, the Democrats failed to block the confirmation of DeVos. In a historic vote, the Senate confirmed Devos with 51-50 vote with Vice President Mike Pence casting the first-ever tie-breaking vote.

Moments after DeVos’ confirmation, Franken issued a statement, calling Devos the “most incompetent cabinet-level nominee I have ever seen.”

“Betsy DeVos has demonstrated that she is fundamentally unqualified to lead the Education Department, and it’s a shame that Republicans voted to confirm one of their major donors instead of looking out for our children,” Franken said in the statement.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D – MN) also voted against DeVos’ confirmation. In a Facebook post, Klobuchar expressed concern with DeVos’ stance on the Disabilities Education Act, saying “our children deserve better.”

Despite fierce opposition by Minnesota politicians, some people still believe DeVos was an excellent choice for Sec. of Education. Kim Crockett, Vice President at Center of the American Experiment, issued a statement following the confirmation.

“Her approach will benefit our underperforming schools, but also our best schools and everything in between. I hope it means that private schools, especially religious schools, will grow in number and flourish, too,” Crockett wrote. “If public schools know they cannot take enrollment for granted, we will see them step up to the plate.”

Cabinet confirmations are expected to continue tomorrow with a vote on Attorney General nominee Jeff Sessions. Both Franken and Klobuchar have announced they will be voting against Sessions.

Christine Bauman