Mike Pence Breaks 50-50 Tie to Confirm Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary

Betsy DeVos, following a 50-50 tie, has been confirmed as Trump's education secretary.

BREAKING: VP Mike Pence casts historic tie-breaking vote to confirm Betsy DeVos as Pres. Trump’s education secretary https://t.co/HxFJAzYvbx pic.twitter.com/eorEjaUC5N

— CNN (@CNN) February 7, 2017

Vice President Mike Pence broke a 50-50 tie Tuesday to confirm billionaire Betsy DeVos, whose self-proclaimed education mission is to "advance God's kingdom," as the new education secretary. Speaking with CNN moments before the confirmation, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut outlined the fears surrounding DeVos.

I appreciate the Senate's diligence & am honored to serve as @usedgov Secretary. Let's improve options & outcomes for all US students.

— Betsy DeVos (@BetsyDeVos) February 7, 2017

"You put those two things together, lack of compassion for what's happened to places like Sandy Hook and an inability to just understand the basic law around vulnerable students, and it was clear at the end of that hearing that this was someone who shouldn't be the secretary of education," Murphy said.

DeVos responds to @ChrisMurphyCT with support for Trump plan to get rid of gun free zones; cites grizzly bears as reason for guns in schools pic.twitter.com/EPcocq8an4

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 18, 2017

DeVos' hearing last month was, as the subsequent memes made strikingly clear, a truly surreal (post-truth?) display of extreme levels of WTF. Pressed by Murphy during the hearing on the potential presence of guns in schools, DeVos failed to definitively oppose the idea. Her reasoning? "Potential grizzlies."

View this video on YouTube

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But there's more (much more) where that came from. Following news of DeVos' confirmation, Twitter understandably erupted into a discussion on her distinct lack of qualifications and some troubling affiliations:

She literally paid off everyone in the room.
Mad yet??
#DeVosvote pic.twitter.com/8wvveRN7N0

— George D. (@xdelmar59) February 7, 2017

It is absurd that DeVos was just confirmed as the Secretary of Education. Each of the Republicans who voted for her should be ashamed.

— deray (@deray) February 7, 2017

By supporting the magnificently incompetent Devos tthe GOP has earned its place as the most cowardly party in US history. We won't forget!

— Danny Zuker (@DannyZuker) February 7, 2017

Congrats to Betsy DeVos. Really looking forward to the kids learning about how dinosaur fossils are evidence of Satan's trickery.

— 🎃Maggie Serota (@maggieserota) February 7, 2017

betsy devos is a slap in the face to every hardworking teacher & every kid in public school. very sad day for the future of education.

— Laci Green (@gogreen18) February 7, 2017

Maybe DeVos is part of a plan to make parents stop sending their kids to school so they won't learn enough to not vote Republican someday.

— The Volatile Mermaid (@OhNoSheTwitnt) February 7, 2017

Elementary math under Betsy Devos
Q: Ned and Sheryl each have 4 apples. Who has more apples?
A: Whomever Mike Pence decides has more apples.

— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) February 7, 2017

*pours stiffest possible drink, downs it, then immediately pours another*

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