# First GOP / Trump Showdown: DeVos? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 1, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gop-trump-showdown-devos/778772 "2017-02-01T21:27:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gop-trump-showdown-devos/778772/1 "2017-02-01T21:27:01Z")
> **[Two G.O.P. Senators to Oppose DeVos as Education Secretary, Imperiling Her...](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/01/us/politics/donald-trump-administration.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur)** > > Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska say they will oppose Betsy DeVos as education secretary, putting her confirmation at risk. At this point with two turning against DeVos it will be a tie and Pence will certainly side with DeVos. But if one more Republican votes against her. Well, it could be interesting. I don’t think Trump would be very happy. What do you think? Will DeVos makes it by? If not, what will be Trump’s reaction? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gop-trump-showdown-devos/778772/2 "2017-02-01T21:52:55Z")
I suspect she’ll go through. I’ve heard Murkowski and Collins announced their No votes only after they were sure the votes would still be there to confirm. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gop-trump-showdown-devos/778772/3 "2017-02-01T22:09:59Z")
No idea, but she really doesn’t sound like she’s qualified for it. It’s probably reasonable to say that Republicans who back her are really putting the party before the (children of) the country. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gop-trump-showdown-devos/778772/4 "2017-02-01T22:16:18Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > I suspect she’ll go through. I’ve heard Murkowski and Collins announced their No votes only after they were sure the votes would still be there to confirm. …and they both voted yes in committee. The overall vote was 12-11. Either one could have kept it from getting to a full Senate vote. I strongly suspect you are right. ---
**Author:** ![TheSeaOtter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ed655f/32.png) [@TheSeaOtter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheSeaOtter)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gop-trump-showdown-devos/778772/5 "2017-02-01T22:24:14Z")
Yeah, no, they figured out they had two votes to spare, and so two people get to pretend they’re making a principled stand, when either of them could singlehandedly have stopped the nomination. There won’t be a third defection, Pence will break the tie, and Department of Education will be in the charge of a woman who doesn’t understand a damn thing about how it works and will probably dismantle it so that children can spend more time doing educational coal mining. ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gop-trump-showdown-devos/778772/6 "2017-02-01T22:25:32Z")
It’s something to give to Democratic Senators to show to their raging base. “Look, we almost got one!” ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gop-trump-showdown-devos/778772/7 "2017-02-01T22:32:09Z")
I didn’t want to express a point of view in the OP, but I am hoping she doesn’t make it through. I’m not particularly in favour of most of the appointments but DeVos for Education and Pruitt for the EPA are particularly unqualified and loathsome. I do agree that this is certainly just political showboating. It would be just so great to have somebody else vote against. Just so very very great. If somehow she doesn’t make it through I think Trump will be twittering about “betrayal”. It would get pretty explosive I’m sure. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAlecCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SmartAlecCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAlecCat)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gop-trump-showdown-devos/778772/8 "2017-02-01T22:53:06Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > No idea, but she really doesn’t sound like she’s qualified for it. It’s probably reasonable to say that Republicans who back her are really putting the party before the (children of) the country. She may be singularly unqualified, but she will also have [Jerry Falwell, Jr.](http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jerry-falwell-jr-asked-lead-trump-education-task-force-n715116), “one of the nation’s most prominent evangelical Christian leaders… to head a White House task force on reforming the U.S. higher education system”. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gop-trump-showdown-devos/778772/9 "2017-02-01T23:03:30Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > No idea, but she really doesn’t sound like she’s qualified for it. It’s probably reasonable to say that Republicans who back her are really putting the party before the (children of) the country. I’d be happy to see the DoE eliminated. Education should be solely a state function. The DoE’s budget is 8% of total spending on K-12. No reason the states can’t pick that up themselves. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gop-trump-showdown-devos/778772/10 "2017-02-01T23:12:46Z")
> [@BeepKillBeep](#): > > At this point with two turning against DeVos it will be a tie and Pence will certainly side with DeVos. Do you think Democratic opposition to her will be unanimous? Has it been unanimous for any of the other nominees? I suspect DeVos will be the next Secretary of Education, but I’m open to the possibility of being surprised. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gop-trump-showdown-devos/778772/11 "2017-02-01T23:15:04Z")
> [@DinoR](#): > > …and they both voted yes in committee. The overall vote was 12-11. Either one could have kept it from getting to a full Senate vote. I strongly suspect you are right. AFAIK, there’s a mechanism for the full Senate to approve a nominee even if it doesn’t have the committee’s approval. There was talk of that being the route they’d take if Rubio had voted no on Tillerson. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gop-trump-showdown-devos/778772/12 "2017-02-01T23:54:02Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I’d be happy to see the DoE eliminated. Education should be solely a state function. The DoE’s budget is 8% of total spending on K-12. No reason the states can’t pick that up themselves. From a theoretical standpoint, I would accept that. The states are meant to be able to (largely) run the way they want to, to have their own moral standards, etc. But from a practical one, I could only see that helping to divide the country, increase the red-\>blue brain drain, and consequently the economic disparity between the red and blue states (which then loops back in on itself). Minus a few measures to keep the country somewhat balanced, it will divide. The DoE probably sits on the front line of that initiative. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gop-trump-showdown-devos/778772/13 "2017-02-01T23:56:31Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Do you think Democratic opposition to her will be unanimous? Has it been unanimous for any of the other nominees? > > I suspect DeVos will be the next Secretary of Education, but I’m open to the possibility of being surprised. I think that some Democrats will vote in her favour precisely because they believe that it won’t matter. That the writing is on the wall so to speak. If there’s strong local support for charter schools voting against DeVos could be a problem. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gop-trump-showdown-devos/778772/14 "2017-02-02T00:00:25Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > No idea, but she really doesn’t sound like she’s qualified for it. It’s probably reasonable to say that Republicans who back her are really putting the party before the (children of) the country. Not to hijack this – though that’s probably inevitable – but, in your opinion, would Donald Trump have been qualified to serve as the Secretary of Education? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gop-trump-showdown-devos/778772/15 "2017-02-02T00:21:35Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > From a theoretical standpoint, I would accept that. The states are meant to be able to (largely) run the way they want to, to have their own moral standards, etc. > > But from a practical one, I could only see that helping to divide the country, increase the red-\>blue brain drain, and consequently the economic disparity between the red and blue states (which then loops back in on itself). > > Minus a few measures to keep the country somewhat balanced, it will divide. The DoE probably sits on the front line of that initiative. That will DECREASE the red-blue drain. It will only increase it if we allow it to be increase. There are other things that should be devolved to the states, too. Then we can stop hearing folks bitch and moan about “the read-blue drain”. Which, when all is said and done, is more about how many retired people live in the various states than anything else. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gop-trump-showdown-devos/778772/16 "2017-02-02T01:08:43Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > AFAIK, there’s a mechanism for the full Senate to approve a nominee even if it doesn’t have the committee’s approval. I missed that. Thanks. I’ll look another time. > [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Do you think Democratic opposition to her will be unanimous? Has it been unanimous for any of the other nominees? Before the visa debacle, the majority of Democratic confirmation votes had been cast in favor of nominees. Really. It didn’t start off divisively partisan. ---
**Author:** ![jshore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@jshore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jshore)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gop-trump-showdown-devos/778772/17 "2017-02-02T01:15:10Z")
> [@DinoR](#): > > Before the visa debacle, the majority of Democratic confirmation votes had been cast in favor of nominees. Really. It didn’t start off divisively partisan. Although some of it could be due to the deteriorating climate due to the ban as you seem to impky, I think it also has to do with the fact that the first nominees to get votes were the least controversial (which is presumably why they got their votes so quickly). For example, having Mattis in as Secretary of Defense as a counterweight to Trump and Flynn may be the only thing that helps me sleep at all at night. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gop-trump-showdown-devos/778772/18 "2017-02-02T16:56:33Z")
> [@BeepKillBeep](#): > > I think that some Democrats will vote in her favour precisely because they believe that it won’t matter. That the writing is on the wall so to speak. If there’s strong local support for charter schools voting against DeVos could be a problem. The NEA spent 27 million to elect democrats in the last election. There is no way that any Democrat will vote for her.