Declaring “I refuse to simply stand by and watch,” U.S. Senator Patty Murray kicked off 30 hours of debate on the Senate floor prior to the final vote to confirm Betsy DeVos, President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Education.
“I come to the floor today…as someone who, like so many people across the country, owes everything I have to the strong public education I received growing up,” said Senator Murray in her speech.
“I believe it is my responsibility to do everything I can to make sure the opportunities that were there for me — and so many others — are open to every student in this country — no matter where they live, how they learn, or how much money their parents have,” said Murray, a former preschool teacher and school board member.
Democrats have complained their Republican colleagues in the Senate have rushed the DeVos’ nomination, as she has not provided required financial disclosures or responses to questions by Murray and other Democrats about her financial disclosures and support for anti-public education policies.
“Right from the start, it was very clear Republicans intended to jam this nominee through the process as quickly as possible,” said Murray (D-WA), the Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
“Corners were cut. Precedents were ignored. Debate was cut off. And reasonable requests and questions were blocked,” Murray said.
“The more people learn about Betsy DeVos, the more they realize how wrong she is for our students and schools. The more they hear about her background, the more they see her as one more way President Trump has broken his promise to ‘drain the swamp.’
“And the more that comes out about her failed record, her tangled finances and conflicts of interest, and her lack of understanding or experience — the more the pressure increases on Republicans to put their allegiance to President Trump aside, and stand with their constituents. So I understand why some Republican want to rush this through — but I think it is absolutely wrong, and I know people are paying attention,” Murray said.
DeVos’ nomination has generated considerable controversy and public outcry across the country, and Murray’s office has received thousands of phone calls and emails from Washington state constituents expressing their deep concern with DeVos’ qualifications and positions.
Murray noted the nominee has refused to rule out privatizing public schools or cutting funds to public schools.
During testimony before Murray’s committee, DeVos was confused about federal law and didn’t understand basic issues critical to public education. DeVos also said guns should be allowed in schools to “protect from grizzlies.”
“For parents of students in public schools — it’s hard to see a billionaire, who never went to public school and who didn’t send her children to public schools — put in a position to work against your interests,” Murray said.
“For teachers, who work so hard every day in our public schools, it is hard to see your work denigrated,” she added. “For so many others, in communities across the country, something about Betsy DeVos has lit a fire underneath them, too.”
Murray has she will vote against DeVos’ nomination, and two Republican senators — Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) — have said they will join Senate Democrats to vote no on DeVos’ nomination.
The final vote on the nomination is scheduled for early next week.
