Two GOP Senators Say They Will Oppose Education Nominee Betsy DeVos

Republicans can’t afford to lose any more votes and be able to assure confirmation with GOP support alone.

Two Republican senators announced on Wednesday that they would vote against school-voucher advocate Betsy DeVos to be education secretary, putting President Donald Trump’s nominee dangerously close to falling short of the number of GOP votes needed to win confirmation.

The decision by Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska means the GOP, which holds 52 Senate seats, can’t afford to lose any more Republicans if the party wants to assure Ms. DeVos of confirmation.

Cabinet nominees can win confirmation on a simple majority vote. The Senate is currently divided 52-48 between Republicans and Democrats, leaving 50 -50 tie if all Democrats vote join the two GOP senators in opposing her. Republican Vice President Mike Pence is expected to break any ties.

Sens. Collins and Murkowski had one day earlier voted to send Ms. DeVos’s nomination out of the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee to the full Senate. But they had also signaled they might not be able to ultimately vote for her.

“She has, no doubt, done valuable work,” Ms. Collins said on the Senate floor. “Her concentration on charter schools and vouchers, however, raises the question about whether or not she fully appreciates that the secretary of Education’s primary focus must be on helping states and communities, parents, teachers, school board administrators, school board members, and administrators strengthen our public schools.”

Ms. Murkowski said that she would also vote against Ms. DeVos because thousands of Alaskans have called, emailed, and shown up in person to voice worries similar to her own.

“Their concerns center, as mine do, on Mrs. DeVos’s lack of experience with public education and the lack of knowledge that she portrayed in her confirmation hearing,” Ms. Murkowski said.

Despite the development, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said of Ms. DeVos: “I am 100% confident she will be the next secretary of Education.”

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