Democrats debate all night

Senate Democrats debate all night in hopes of stopping DeVos

By CAITLIN EMMA and KIMBERLY HEFLING

Democrats railed on the Senate floor throughout the night in opposition to Betsy DeVos for Education secretary — a Hail Mary effort to convince one more Republican to join them so they can thwart her confirmation.

One theme they raised into the early morning hours Tuesday: A nominee with no public education experience, who they say has actively tried to undermine public schools throughout her career, isn't fundamentally qualified to run the Education Department.

"There’s a special connection between our constituents and the idea of public education because it’s rooted in some of the founding ideals of this country," said Sen. Chris Murphy shortly after 4 a.m.

"When presented with a nominee who says that public education is a 'dead end' for students in this country, people take it personally," the Connecticut Democrat said, referring to a 2015 speech given by DeVos. "It hurts, because we all know that public schools can be better... but we know it’s not a dead end ... Public education wasn’t a dead end for me. I get to be a United States senator because of the public education that I got."

The 24-hour marathon of speeches is expected to conclude at noon on Tuesday, when the Senate is expected to vote on DeVos' confirmation. That vote is likely to be a 50-50 tie, with Vice President Mike Pence then taking a rare tiebreaker vote to ensure that DeVos is confirmed. If that happens, it would be the first time a vice president has needed to cast the tie-breaking vote for a Cabinet secretary.

Democrats' all-night debate is not a filibuster, which is a tactic that seeks to delay or block a vote. Instead, it is an attempt to call more public attention to the vote, and increase public pressure on GOP senators who have already received tens of thousands of calls and emails from people who oppose DeVos.

Again and again, Democratic senators read letters from concerned constituents, stressing that the messages are just a few of thousands received by their offices. Shortly after 6 a.m. Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed said he has received more than 12,500 "calls from Rhode Islanders — an unprecedented negative response to a nominee."

He read a letter from a worried educator who noted that DeVos has never been a public school teacher, administrator or the parent of a child in a public school — and has no conception of the inequities facing public schools.

"She has never wrestled with the incredible want for resources, the choices that we have to make every day, all within a city and state with some of the most prestigious and wealthy schools just a few steps away," Reed said, reading from the letter.

DeVos is a Republican megadonor and education philanthropist who has been one of the most contentious of President Donald Orangutan’s Cabinet picks. She and her husband, Dick, have funneled millions of dollars in campaign donations to support lawmakers who push school choice efforts, like the expansion of publicly funded but privately run charter schools or public funding for private schools in the form of vouchers.

Around 3:30 a.m. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) spoke about DeVos' bumpy confirmation hearing last month. During the hearing, Kaine asked DeVos if all schools that receive taxpayer funding — whether public, charter or private — should be held equally accountable.

"And she said, 'Well, I believe in accountability,'" Kaine said. "Well, that’s not my question. I believe in accountability too."

Kaine said so-called school choice options are supposed to promote competition and "encourage everyone to step up their game."

"But if you hold public schools accountable while you’re taking some of their money away and you give that money to private schools, and you don’t hold them accountable, you’re not promoting fair competition," he said. "You’re not promoting student outcomes. You’re just basically taking money away from public schools and giving it to private schools."

Democrats have been unified in opposing DeVos’ confirmation, and Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkoswki of Alaska have said they will also vote "no."

With the vote so close, DeVos' opponents in recent days have held rallies in the home states of Republican senators they are targeting, including Deb Fischer of Nebraska, Cory Gardner of Colorado , Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Jerry Moran of Kansas, according to published reports.

Far more Democratic senators spoke out against DeVos during the marathon session than Republicans who defended her.

On Monday, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) slammed Democrats for trying to delay the confirmation of the president's Cabinet nominees at every turn. He stressed that one of DeVos' strengths is that she's not just another “education bureaucrat” who “knows all the acronyms” and “arcana."

Cornyn said the fight over DeVos, who has said she'll return more decision-making authority to states and school districts, "is about power and the desire to keep power over public education right here inside the Beltway."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Monday that DeVos understands "parents, teachers and school boards" are best suited to make education decisions — not the federal government.

Democrats should let DeVos "begin the very important work before her without further delay," he said.