Offered without further comment, here is the history of my email exchange with Senator Todd Young of Indiana regarding the confirmation of Betsy DeVos:
Dear Senator Young,
Please oppose the confirmation of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. She
has neither the background nor instincts of an educator. Her appointment
would expand the chaos of the current administration and make the jobs of
those of us who serve on the front lines of education immeasurably more
difficult.
Thank you for receiving my input, and thank you for your service to our
constituency.
Respectfully,
Greek Goddess
English teacher, Shelbyville High School
Adjunct professor of English, Ivy Tech Community College
*****
Dear Ms. Goddess,
Thank you for contacting me regarding the nomination of Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.
As a United States Senator, I take my constitutional responsibility to review all nominees and their qualifications seriously. As you may know, the Secretary of Education is the head of the Department of Education and is the principle advisor to the President of the United States on education matters.
On November 23, then President-Elect Trump announced his intention to nominate Betsy DeVos to serve as the 11th Secretary of Education. She chaired the American Federation for Children, which advocates to expand educational options for all children with a special emphasis on low-income children. This is a cause that Mrs. DeVos has championed for much of her adult life.
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), of which I am a member, considered Mrs. DeVos’s nomination on January 17, 2017. The Committee reported her nomination on January 31 and on February 7, the full Senate confirmed her by a vote of 51-50. I voted to confirm Mrs. DeVos because she has devoted her life to the field of education. She has an unwavering belief that parents should be in charge of making choices about their child's education.
Thank you again for contacting me, and please do not hesitate to reach out on other issues of importance in the future.
Sincerely, Todd Young
United States Senator
*****
Dear Senator Young,
Thank you for your response to my message. I plan to oppose your reelection for two reasons: first, because you supported a spectacularly unqualified individual to manage our nation’s education policy; and second, because your misspelling of the word "principal" indicates that you yourself are unqualified to make such important decisions.
Sincerely,
Greek Goddess