Franken: No Dems will vote to confirm DeVos for secretary of Education

[babylonsister]

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/316541-franken-no-dems-will-vote-to-confirm-devos-for-secretary-of-education

Franken: No Dems will vote to confirm DeVos for secretary of Education
By Paulina Firozi - 01/27/17 01:53 PM EST


Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) says President Trump’s pick for secretary of Education will get no votes from Democrats.

In an interview with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow on Thursday, Franken said Democrats were looking to convince Republicans to oppose Betsy DeVos's confirmation as well.

"She is an ideologue who knows next to nothing about education policy as ... she demonstrated really in her confirmation hearing," Franken said. "There’s going to be a lot of these nominees who we're going to do everything we can to defeat."

snip//

Liberal groups have jammed senators' phone lines with thousands of calls urging them to vote against her.

Democrats had hoped to hold a second hearing on DeVos and asked Republicans for the chance to further scrutinize DeVos's qualifications and any potential conflicts of interest.

"We feel very strongly there ought to be another hearing, and this will affect how the rest of the nominees will go forward because we need time on them," Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said at the hearing last week.

But the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions rejected the request for a second hearing, even after after Senate Democrats sent a letter to chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.).

The panel will hold an executive session to vote on DeVos's nomination on Jan. 31.

The GOP has a 52-seat majority in the Senate. DeVos needs 50 votes to be confirmed. So Democrats would need to get three Republican senators to vote against DeVos to stop her confirmation.

[JDC]

1. Outstanding

[tenorly]

17. It's delightful, delectable,

[Rex]

2. They better not! nt

nt

[elmac]

21. I second that! nt

[gratuitous]

3. That's more like it

And if DeVos isn't confirmed, and Trump nominates someone even worse, vote against that person, too!

[elmac]

22. Being from MI I can safely say that

it would be extremely hard to find anyone worse then her.

[Raster]

4. PERFECT! DeVoss isn't qualified FOR ANY POSITION...

...She's nothing more than an uber-reich-wing moneybag and name.

[dalton99a]

5. Good news.

[Squinch]

6. PLEASE let there be three Republicans who are actual human beings.

[Wellstone ruled]

7. Thanks Al,you rock buddy.

[FBaggins]

8. But will any republicans vote against her?

That's the question.

[Angry Dragon]

9. Al rocks ............... my senator

[underpants]

10. This bears repeating

Kick

[pangaia]

11. Why vote FOR any of them?

I don't get it.
I mean, what is there to discuss???

[elmac]

23. I agree

will need to build a wall around the orange fascist.

[dchill]

25. I've long thought that was the proper placement.

Perhaps around Mar a Lago.

[Dawson Leery]

30. Ryan Zinke believes in climate change.

and having him in the Whitehouse, keeps him away from challenging Jon Tester next year.

Mattis will keep sanity on many matters.

[frazzled]

12. Tell him (if you are a constituent) that no Republicans who have received funding

from DeVos or her family should be permitted to vote for her either. They must RECUSE themselves.

(Five members of the Committee itself are big recipients of DeVos money, and many more in the Senate.)

Without these Republican votes, the nomination is sunk.

[CousinIT]

13. Frankly, no Dems should be voting for ANY of his nominees. n/t

[elmac]

24. This nt

[Golden Raisin]

29. Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!

Democrats should be just as collegial, cooperative and respectful as Republicans were about the Merrick Garland nomination and every other bit of outrageous Republican obstructionism during the Obama years (and before). Republicans only understand being smacked in the head with a baseball bat. "Taking the high road" and "playing by the rules" has given us Trump and will just give us more lost elections.

[uponit7771]

14. Sessions ?!

[vi5]

15. I love Al.....

...but I hope he is presenting this as informational and not some sort of crowing about how great it is of Dems to do this.

They shouldn't be voting for ANY of Trumps nominees. I agree DeVos is probably the worst of the bunch but Sessions, Tillerson and others are not that far behind.

[Hekate]

16. Al F gave a discerning interview. Betsy deVos is an absolute no-go, but there are a few nominees...

...who will be acceptable enough to get some D votes, and he explained clearly why that is.

I think of Franken as a wise man. I think we should listen when he talks.

[smirkymonkey]

18. I love Al!

He is a righteous Senator!

[malaise]

19. Great news

Rec

[SHRED]

20. Talk is cheap

[mvd]

26. Good news

That would send the right signal.

[old guy]

27. I doubt they will find 3 repubs to vote against her.

[Dawson Leery]

28. Could she go down?

Turtle"man" is delaying the vote. Some Repubs may be wavering.