This afternoon, Betsy DeVos’s nomination for education secretary was approved on a party-line vote in the Senate’s education committee. Despite strong attacks from the left, a hearing longer than either of Obama’s education nominees, and an unprecedented number of written questions from opposing senators, Democrats did not uncover any reason to reject DeVos convincing enough to persuade the Republican members of the committee.
Republicans Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska approved DeVos in the committee vote, but they have not pledged to vote for her in the Senate-wide vote. Should they both vote against her, Democrats would still need another nay vote to get to the 51 required to reject her. Which is to say that, despite fiery opposition from Democrats and teachers’ unions, DeVos appears to be headed to confirmation.
After the vote, Democrats predictably freaked out on committee chairman Lamar Alexander (R., Tenn.), taking extra time to lambast DeVos and accusing Alexander of breaking precedent by allowing Senator Orrin Hatch to vote by proxy (the process was not, in fact, a problem). Senator Al Franken called her hearing “the most embarrassing hearing that I have ever attended,” and said, “This woman has less knowledge about public education than almost anyone who has any interest at all in education.” (Franken based this judgment on one confusing question he had asked, and then swiftly stopped DeVos from answering). Franken also attacked Christian schools and DeVos’s support of them, calling vouchers for middle class children “perverse” and something that only makes sense if you are “building God’s Kingdom,” a sarcastic reference to DeVos’s stated Christian values.
Democrats must channel all of that outrage in a persuasive direction if they are going to stop her confirmation before the Senate. By continuing to harp on her wealth, her faith, and unsubstantiated charges of conflicts of interest, they seem to be showing that their goal is to satisfy their base, not to persuade anyone in the middle.