February 07, 2017

Duckworth Votes Against Betsy DeVos for Education Secretary

 

WASHINGTON, DC - After voting against the nomination of Betsy DeVos to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement. Video from Senator Duckworth's floor speech expressing her opposition to Ms. Devos' nomination is available here.

"I do not believe the President nominated the best candidate to serve as Secretary of Education; I do not even believe he nominated a qualified candidate. I was hoping Ms. DeVos would ease my concerns about her qualifications at her confirmation hearing and prove that she was up to the job. Instead, Ms. DeVos failed to study, showed up unprepared and appeared unfamiliar with a foundational civil rights law that guarantees every student, including those with disabilities, the right to a quality, equitable education. I would not be here today were it not for strong public schools and civil rights protections, so there was simply no way I could support her nomination. It is a shame that someone who has never been a teacher or administrator, and who holds no degree in education policy, will now helm the agency tasked with educating our children and training our workforce. Unfortunately, our children and our nation will suffer the consequences of this decision for decades to come."

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