Lankford confirms support for DeVos
U.S. Sen. James Lankford confirmed his support for Betsy DeVos as education secretary, telling The
Oklahoman her appointment will help transfer more control of education policy to states and local communities.
“She’s been highly controversial. There have been lots of individuals who have called our office to say she has never had experience in public education before and they are very concerned about that,” Lankford said. “I am going to support her for this and I know there are a lot of folks who will be very upset about that one way or another.”
Shawn Sheehan, Oklahoma’s 2016 teacher of the year, was one of those who reached out to Lankford to ask him to vote against DeVos.
“It would be the equivalent to appointing a secretary of defense who came from the private security background,” said Sheehan, who is a math teacher in Norman. “We would be appointing a chief that literally has zero hours in public education.”
DeVos would be the first education secretary without any experience attending or working in public schools. Following a confirmation hearing last week, Democrats accused DeVos of lacking a basic understanding of education policy, especially around the idea of proficiency versus growth.
Trump has said DeVos would be a strong advocate for school choice policies, including vouchers and charter schools. But Eli Broad, a Los Angeles philanthropist who has funded charter expansion efforts, wrote a letter this week criticizing her appointment.
“We must have a Secretary of Education who believes in public education and the need to keep public schools public,” Broad wrote.
Lankford said Thursday he will support DeVos because it is typical for new presidents to get their first nominees appointed, but also because he saw her as a person dedicated to public education.
“She’s been very clear that she is supportive of public education,” Lankford said. “I would never put someone in that hates public education.”
In a statement released this week, Lankford said, “I will support Betsy DeVos for Education Secretary for one main reason — she has expressed her absolute commitment to transfer more control of education policy from Washington, D.C., to states, parents, and local leaders.”
Sen. Jim Inhofe also has announced he will support DeVos.
While Oklahoma’s two senators plan to back DeVos, two Republican senators — Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, — announced this week they will oppose DeVos in the confirmation vote.
If Democrats vote as a bloc against DeVos, along with the two Republican defectors, it would create a 50-50 tie that mostly likely would be broken in favor of DeVos by Vice President Mike Pence.
While Democrats will look for one more Republican no vote, the majority party has expressed confidence DeVos will be confirmed. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, the majority whip, told the Washington Post this week he was certain DeVos would be confirmed.
A Senate vote on DeVos could come as early as Monday.