Sen. Rob Portman, who just got a huge vote of confidence from the people of Ohio for his re-election, now owes it to the citizens of this state to do the right thing and vote against Betsy DeVos for education secretary — even if it means crossing President Donald Trump, who nominated her.
As became manifestly clear in DeVos’ confirmation hearing, she has no qualifications even remotely suited to the job.
Portman has a rare opportunity to show that he will be an independent thinker, not a party hack, and to save the country from a terrible choice.
If Democrats vote as a bloc, only three Republican votes are needed to sink Devos’ nomination. On Wednesday, GOP senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska both announced they planned to vote against her on the floor.
After careful consideration, and hearing from Alaskans, I will vote against Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education: https://t.co/u7sNCPUH3d.
— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) February 1, 2017
Portman, a Republican, therefore could cast the deciding vote. He should.
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Sherrod Brown, Ohio’s Democratic senator, already has said that he will vote against DeVos.
A U.S. secretary of education is no fluff position. The person who takes the job is in charge of a vast organization that creates educational policy, doles out money and holds schools accountable.
Yet DeVos didn’t even do proper homework for her confirmation hearings. One answer submitted in writing — about the bullying of lesbian, gay and transgender children — appeared to be copied, almost word for word, from a 2016 news release quoting Vanita Gupta, the top civil rights official in the Obama Justice Department. An answer on civil rights seems to have been lifted from a U.S. Department of Education website.
And although the courts ruled her personally not liable, a school-choice advocacy group she helped found and led for years never paid $5.3 million in fines for election-law violations in Ohio.
Betsy DeVos and the unpaid Ohio fines owed by group she once headed: Editorial Board Roundtable
Both Sens. Collins and Murkowski had voted for DeVos in committee but said they were troubled by her narrow approach and her lack of familiarity with the landmark 1975 federal law on the rights of students with disabilities.
Collins and Murkowski are right: DeVos, a single-issue nominee, is simply not qualified to take on a position that puts her in charge of creating educational policy for all of the nation’s children.
Portman should just say no to DeVos.
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