UPDATING: Two Republican Senators Announce They Will Vote Against Betsy DeVos

Three Republicans Needed to Derail Nomination

Anti-public school activist Betsy DeVos is one of the few Trump cabinet nominees who may not be confirmed. Of the four currently in hot water, Labor nominee Andy Puzder’s looks to be in the greatest danger. Tom Price for Health and Human Services and Steve Mnuchin for Treasury were also in danger until Senate Republicans on their committees changed the rules Wednesday morning to force through their confirmations. Both are now awaiting a vote in the Senate, along with Jeff Sessions for Attorney General.

Trump’s Education Secretary nominee, Betsy DeVos, however, seems to be struggling. After her horrific confirmation hearing, news broke that she actually appears to have plagiarized some of her written testimony – even from a former Obama administration official.

But now two influential Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, are signaling they may vote against DeVos. 

Collins minutes ago announced she will vote against DeVos.

“I’m still working through that but I’m leaning against her. But I will, in keeping with my tradition, vote for cloture,” Collins had said earlier in an interview with Politico. In other words, Collins will vote to allow the Senate to debate DeVos, but she now says she will not vote for her to be confirmed. “I’m still working through my decision making,” she said.

UPDATE: 2:17 PM EST – 

Sen. Lisa Murkowski has just announced she will vote against DeVos also:

Politico earlier had reported Sen. Murkowski is “undecided,” but “but reserved the right to oppose DeVos on the floor.”

It appears even West Virginia’s Sen. Joe Manchin, who often crosses the aisle to vote with or in some way support Republicans, is opposed to DeVos:

DeVos has been called anti-LGBT, as donations she and her family have made to anti-LGBT orgs show. She does not agree with the federal law mandating that children with disabilities receive a “free appropriate public education” or that they deserve equal protection in schools. 

On Tuesday a Senate committee advanced DeVos’ nomination to the full Senate for a vote.

UPDATE II: 2:51 PM EST –
This via a Pro-Publica reporter, referring to GOP Sen. Pat Toomey.

 

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Elizabeth Warren Grills Betsy DeVos: ‘Swindlers and Crooks Doing Backflips’ Over Answers Like Yours (Video)