Grassley, Ernst emphasize local control of schools as DeVos is confirmed

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump's choice of billionaire Betsy DeVos to be education secretary was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, but only after Vice President Mike Pence was called in to break a tie that threatened to defeat her.

The tiebreaking vote, which Senate officials said was unprecedented to confirm a president's Cabinet nominee, came after two Republicans joined with 46 Democrats and two independents in opposition to DeVos. Critics have called her unprepared to lead the Department of Education.

Both senators from Iowa, Republicans Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, voted yes on DeVos.

She 'has pledged to fight for all students, including those attending public, private and charter schools and students who require additional support due to developmental, physical or other disabilities,” Ernst said in a statement. 'While I support her confirmation, I will be holding her accountable to the standard she has placed upon herself.”

Ernst also noted she attended public school in Iowa, calling it 'one of the best public school systems in the nation.”

'As a mother and grandmother, I firmly believe education should be handled at the state and local level by Iowans, not Washington bureaucrats,” she said.

A statement from Grassley stressed local control of public schools as well.

Her job, he said, 'will not be to oversee public schools. That's handled at the state and local school board levels. The role of the U.S. Secretary of Education is to implement federal education programs, which are largely targeted at providing additional assistance to disadvantaged students and students with disabilities whether they attend public or private schools.”

A spokesman for the Iowa Department of Education said the state department does not comment on appointments at the federal level.

But, spokesman Jim Flansburg said, the department 'will continue as we are going.”

Following a rocky Senate confirmation hearing, Democrats have attacked DeVos as being unprepared to lead the Education Department.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer immediately derided the proceeding.

'This cabinet nom is so unqualified, so divisive, that @MikePenceVP had to drive down Pennsylvania Ave to cast the deciding vote,” he tweeted after the vote.

Under the U.S. Constitution, the vice president also serves as president of the Senate, with the power to cast votes only when there are ties on nominations or legislation.

Democrats kept the Senate in session throughout Monday night debating on DeVos and in an attempt to pressure one more Republican to join in opposition to DeVos and thus defeat her.

Only Republican senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined the Democrats and two independents in opposition to DeVos. That left 50 Republicans supporting her in the 100-member chamber.

Historically, Cabinet nominees with weak support in the Senate ask the president to withdraw their nomination, which DeVos did not do.

DeVos is married to the heir and former CEO of Amway, which sells household and personal care items. She also is the daughter of the founders of Prince Corp., a Michigan car parts supplier, and sister of Erik Prince, the founder of the security company formerly known as Blackwater USA, now called Academi.

DeVos has been an advocate of charter schools, which operate independently of school districts and frequently are run by corporations. Democrats are concerned she will promote charter schools in a way that would undercut public schools, which have long been the anchor of the U.S. education system.

Reuters contributed to this story.

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