After a day of Democrats in the U.S. Senate stonewalling President Trump’s Secretary of Education nomination, Vice President Mike Pence broke the deadlock by casting his vote, confirming Betsy DeVos 51-50 for the position Tuesday afternoon.
Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, along with his Democratic colleagues, voted “no” in opposition.
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who has received thousands of dollars in campaign donations from the DeVos family, voted “yes.”
Opposition toward DeVos for the nation’s top education post grew after many educators and parents claimed she was unfit for the position based on her past experience.
“[It] certainly was predicted, not a surprise,” said John Miller, president of the Education Policy Issues Caucus of The Villages.
Miller, a retired Bucknell University professor, also said he was disappointed.
“It is an indication of how divided we remain,” he said.
The Village of Largo resident circulated a petition last month in opposition to DeVos, collecting more than 200 signatures in The Villages.
You can read about the petition HERE
The next step, Miller said, is to accept the results and to continue to work locally and pay attention to people’s needs in education.
