PENCE IN A PINCH

VP casts tie-breaking vote confirming DeVos as education secretary.

School choice advocate Betsy DeVos was narrowly confirmed Tuesday as the next education secretary despite deep opposition from teachers unions and other groups, after Vice President Pence intervened to cast a historic tie-breaking vote.

Pence’s vote marked the first time in American history a vice president has broken a tie on a Cabinet nominee’s Senate confirmation – and the first tie-breaking vote by a VP since 2008. Pence was compelled to cast the vote, in his role as president of the Senate, after two Republican senators – Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – came out against DeVos.

With those two Republicans and all Senate Democrats opposing the nominee, she was confirmed on a 51-50 vote.

“She’s led the most effective school reform movement of the last 30 years,” Senate education committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said moments earlier on the floor, shoring up DeVos’ Republican support.

The confirmation of the wealthy GOP donor will mark a sharp change in philosophy at the helm of federal education policy, given DeVos’ history boosting alternatives to public education.

Democrats mounted an all-night speaking marathon railing against her nomination in the run-up to the vote, though their opposition combined with lobbying efforts by teachers unions were not enough to block her.

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