Commentary: Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall announced that he will vote against confirming Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. Udall issued the following statement:
“Betsy DeVos has neither the experience nor the commitment to public education to serve as an effective advocate for New Mexico's or America’s students. In her confirmation hearings, Mrs. DeVos showed a severe lack of knowledge about the experience of public school students and young people struggling to repay their student loans, and she clearly does not possess the expertise needed to run the Department of Education. Rather, Mrs. DeVos is a billionaire donor who has spent her fortune on the campaigns of Republican politicians and on advancing her dangerous ideologies. President Trump’s nomination of someone as unqualified as Mrs. DeVos shows the sheer emptiness of his promise to ‘drain the swamp’ of special interests.
“New Mexico continues to face persistent obstacles to delivering on our educational promise to young people, and Mrs. DeVos’ reckless commitment to slashing resources for public schools and privatizing our education system would make it even more difficult for New Mexico schools to succeed. I am extremely concerned about the challenges facing poorer schools and at-risk students. And while Mrs. DeVos has spent millions to promote school vouchers as a cure-all for our educational shortfalls, there is ample evidence that these programs benefit middle- and upper-income families like Mrs. DeVos’ at the expense of families in the greatest need of educational resources. Further, Mrs. DeVos has showed a basic lack of understanding about federal education policy, and I am concerned about her willingness and dedication to enforcing policies that protect children with disabilities. Simply put, Mrs. Devos’ ideology and her weak grasp of the issues under the purview of the Department of Education would hurt the students who are struggling the most.
“As Secretary of Education, Mrs. DeVos would also be in charge of administering our nation’s student loans programs and ensuring debt repayment from millions of financially-strapped borrowers. Yet shockingly, Mrs. DeVos has refused to pay her own debts and fines. Nearly a decade ago, her Political Action Committee was hit with a record $5.3 million fine for its blatant violation of Ohio campaign finance law. But years later, Mrs. DeVos has still failed to take responsibility for her PAC’s illegal activity and pay the fine. I wrote to Mrs. DeVos, and to the HELP Committee, on several occasions to demand answers on Mrs. DeVos failure to pay the fine, but her responses were evasive, incomplete and demonstrated a complete disregard for the law. Her PAC’s brazen violation of the law, her indifference to paying this massive court-ordered fine, and her unwillingness to provide information to the Senate after repeated requests are all serious factors in my decision to oppose Mrs. DeVos' nomination.
“Mrs. DeVos seems to think that the rules don’t apply to her – but I have very clear criteria for what I’m looking for in a Secretary of Education. Our nation needs a Secretary of Education who has the qualifications, the knowledge, and the dedication to ensure that all kids – regardless of background or ZIP code – have the chance to succeed. Mrs. DeVos does not meet that standard, and I will oppose her nomination.”