Betsy DeVos, Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Education, overcame a key Senate hurdle early Friday morning, clearing the path for her expected confirmation.
Senators voted 52-48 to advance DeVos’s nomination. No Democrats voted yes.
The vote, which came during a rare Friday session, sets up lawmakers to take a final vote early next week.
Vice President Pence is expected to have to break a 50-50 tie, the first time a vice president will cast the deciding vote on a Cabinet nomination.
Republicans have no room for error to clear DeVos, with GOP Sens. Susan Collins
Susan Margaret CollinsMichelle Wolf in July Fourth salute: 'God bless abortions and God bless America' An end game on Supreme Court nominations One judge on Trump’s short-list comes recommended by the president’s sister MORE (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski
Lisa Ann MurkowskiAn end game on Supreme Court nominations What to know about Trump's Supreme Court pick so far McConnell pushing Trump toward 2 potential Supreme Court picks: report MORE (Alaska) saying they’ll vote against her.
The GOP mega-donor has been the subject of fierce opposition from teachers unions and other liberal groups opposed to her support for charter schools and tuition vouchers using public funds.
Opponents are hoping to peel off a third Republican senator but appear unlikely to succeed.
Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), whom the Huffington Post reported as the “best option” for sinking the nomination, announced his support for DeVos late Thursday.
“I am pleased to vote to confirm Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education,” he said in a statement. “Too many American kids are being left behind every day. That is not acceptable to Betsy DeVos, and it is not acceptable to me.”
GOP Sens. John Hoeven
John Henry HoevenGOP senators visited Moscow on July 4, warned Russia against meddling in 2018 election: report GOP lawmakers plan official visit to Russia later this week GOP senators introduce bill to prevent family separations at border MORE (N.D.), Deb Fischer
Debra (Deb) Strobel FischerErnst, Fischer to square off for leadership post McConnell will ask Cornyn to stay on GOP leadership team Graham downplays need for bill reining in Trump on tariffs after White House meeting MORE (Neb.) and Dean Heller
Dean Arthur HellerSenate GOP PAC books millions in red state ad spending Left mounts heavy pressure campaign on swing senators over Supreme Court Senate passes mammoth farm bill MORE (Nev.) —each considered potential swing votes — also said this week that they would support Trump’s pick.
Collins separately said that she isn’t trying to sway her GOP colleagues to vote against DeVos.
“I am doing what I think is right, and I respect that each senator has to make up his or her own mind,” she told reporters. “I’m not lobbying. I gave my speech on the floor.”
Opponents have also flooded Senate phone lines urging members to vote against her, and social media feeds have also been hit hard by anti-DeVos messages.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Emiel FeinsteinCardiology, airplanes, HD-TV and the filibuster Amy Coney Barrett emerges as favorite on right, target for left Election Countdown: Calls to abolish ICE test Dem candidates | First round of House GOP 'Young Guns' | How Tester is handling Trump's Montana visit | Dem candidate won't back Schumer as leader | Super PACs ramp up Missouri ad buys MORE (D-Calif.), who came out against DeVos on Thursday, noted she had received 95,000 calls, emails and letters opposing her nomination. Murkowski separately said she received “thousands” of calls from concerned constituents.
Senate Democrats blasted DeVos ahead of the vote, arguing her lack of experience with public schools should disqualify her from leading the Education Department.
"When you judge her in three areas — conflicts of interest, basic confidence and ideology, views on Education policy — it is clear that Betsy DeVos is unfit for the job of Education secretary," Minority Leader Charles Schumer
Charles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerAn end game on Supreme Court nominations Liberals forget Constitution as Supreme Court battle fires up Anti-Trump protesters sing national anthem outside rally MORE (D-N.Y.) said. "In all three areas ... she ranks among the lowest of any Cabinet nominee I have ever seen."
Under a 2013 decision, Democrats voted to lower the threshold for lower court and Cabinet posts to a simple majority from the previous 60-vote threshold.
If they hadn’t, Trump’s more controversial nominees, including DeVos and now-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, would likely not have been confirmed.
"A whole lot of people heard Betsy DeVos herself for the first time in that [confirmation] hearing, and they were not impressed, to put it mildly," Sen. Patty Murray
Patricia (Patty) Lynn MurrayDem memo: Top Trump official compared abortion to slavery, the Holocaust Why we live in Anthony Kennedy’s America, not Robert Bork’s Lawmakers request new GAO gender pay study MORE (Wash.), the top Education panel Democrat, said after the vote. "Her vision for education in America is one that is deeply at odds with ... parents and students and families."
Despite the pushback, Senate GOP leadership and the White House stayed firmly in DeVos’s corner.
"She has spent her time working on giving children choices of schools other than public schools," Sen. Lamar Alexander
Andrew (Lamar) Lamar AlexanderSens introduce bipartisan bill matching Zinke proposed maintenance backlog fix Supreme Court vacancy throws Senate battle into chaos Overnight Health Care: Anti-abortion groups see chance to overturn Roe v. Wade with Kennedy retirement | HHS watchdog to probe detention center conditions | VA pick vows to oppose privatization MORE (R-Tenn.) said Friday. "It's always puzzled me as to why anybody would criticize that."
Updated at 7:51 a.m.
