Commentary: Albuquerque, N.M. – Today, following the confirmation vote in favor of President Trump's nominee for Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, Democratic Party of New Mexico Chairwoman Debra Haaland released the following statement:
"The confirmation vote for Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education was a misstep for this country. New Mexicans rely on public schools to provide a quality education for their children and Betsy DeVos's record of supporting privatization efforts and lack of any education experience should have been disqualifying. The vote today for a billionaire from the political donor class confirms that President Trump has no sincere intention of draining any swamp.
No one understands better than New Mexicans the potential damage that someone like Betsy DeVos can do to an education system. New Mexico's Public Education Department, under the leadership of Governor Martinez and Secretary Skandera, serves as an unfortunate warning of what happens when public education is gutted. We are thankful, however, that Senators Martin Heinrich and Tom Udall continued their longstanding support of public education by voting against DeVos."