The Senate voted to confirm Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary Monday after a tie-breaker vote forced Vice President Mike Pence to make the final decision.
The decision came after many weeks of protests across the nation and two deflections from the Republican Party.
DeVos’s appointment was opposed by every Democratic senator and two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
“I have serious concerns about a nominee to be secretary of education who has been so involved in one side of the equation, so immersed in the push for vouchers, that she may be unaware of what actually is successful within the public schools, and also what is broken and how to fix them,” Senator Murkowski said to the New York Times, announcing her opposition.
Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, a former education secretary, claimed that the Democrat’s disapproval of DeVos came strictly from her being nominated by a Republican president.
“She led the most effective public school reform movement over the last few years.” Sen. Alexander said.
DeVos’s victory came after her family donated approximately $200 million dollars to Republican senators who had not vocally opposed her, including Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, who received around $51,000.
Trump’s final cabinet selection, Jeff Sessions, was also confirmed by a 52-47 vote late Wednesday evening, despite more Democratic opposition. He is scheduled to be sworn into office Thursday morning.
