In an indication of just how terrible a nominee Betsy DeVos at Education is for popular vote loser Donald Trump, two Republicans have announced they'll vote against her. Sen. Susan Collins (ME) and Lisa Murkowksi (AK) announced their opposition on the floor Wednesday.
"I come to the floor to announce a very difficult decision that I have made, and that is to vote against the confirmation of Betsy DeVos to be our nation's next secretary of Education," Collins said from the Senate floor.
Collins specifically pointed to DeVos's "lack of familiarly" with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, saying she was "troubled and surprised."
Murkowski, speaking after Collins, said she had too many concerns to back DeVos. […] She added that the DeVos's nomination was a "personal" decisions and that her office had been flooded with calls from constituents opposing Trump's pick.
"I have heard from thousands, truly thousands, of Alaskans who shared their concerns," she said.
According to Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) no Democrat is going to support DeVos. That means we need just one more Republican to defeat her confirmation. The best targets: Jeff Flake (AZ) and Dean Heller (NV). Both Flake and Heller were opposed to Trump and even cagey about whether they'd vote fro him in the general election.
Both are up for reelection in 2018. Both represent states with large rural populations, small towns that rely on their local public schools as the backbones of their communities. Just like Murkowski. And just like with Murkowski, they can be swayed by phone calls and emails. So let's bombard them. Contact Flake and Heller and tell them what you think. And please, call now!
If you live in any of those states, hit the phones!