While you were sleeping, Senate Democrats were holding court on the Senate floor, part of a 24-hour effort to highlight the unusually large amount of opposition to President Trump's education secretary pick, Betsy DeVos. All 48 Democrats and two Republicans are expected to vote against DeVos, and part of the Democratic marathon was aimed at peeling away one more Republican. "I am encouraging my colleagues to search your hearts, step aside from party politics and pay to play in politics, and fight for the children of the United States of America," Sen. Jeff Merkeley (D-Ore.) said before dawn. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) noted the deluge of phone calls from constituents opposed to DeVos. "You can ask the Senate Republicans whether they're getting phone calls, too — they're getting phone calls, too," he said.
Democrats point out that DeVos, a Michigan billionaire and activist for taxpayer-funded school choice, has no personal or professional experience in public education or elected public office, and seemed really unprepared in her confirmation hearing. Her Republican supporters celebrate that she's an outsider and say Democrats and the horde of constituents calling them are just taking out their bitterness at Trump's election on DeVos. "She is having her 15 minutes of fame — at the wrong time," Mike Petrilli of the pro-school-choice Thomas B. Fordham Institute tells USA Today. The vote on DeVos is expected at noon. You can watch some excerpts from the Democrats' all-nighter in this video from The Associated Press, followed by a more curated report from CNN. Peter Weber
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
6 queer poets to read whenever but especially nowThe Week Recommends April is National Poetry Month
-
How women's pain is often ignored in health carethe explainer The gap in care is especially glaring compared to how men are treated
-
6 serene homes in VermontFeatures Featuring a four-level Shaker barn in Hartland and a Scandinavian-inspired home in Stowe
-
Trump's first criminal trial starts with jury picksSpeed Read The former president faces charges related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels
-
How will Israel respond to Iran's direct attack?Speed Read Iran’s weekend attack on Israel could escalate into a wider Middle East war
-
US, Israel brace for Iran retaliatory strikesSpeed Read An Iranian attack on Israel is believed to be imminent
-
Congress honors real-life Rosie the RivetersSpeed Read These American women reshaped the work force during World War II
-
Outgunned Ukraine could fall, US general warnsSpeed Read Without more US aid, Ukraine is at risk of losing the war
-
House GOP scuttles FISA vote at Trump's urgingSpeed Read Right-wing lawmakers blocked Speaker Mike Johnson's surveillance bill
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion banSpeed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
-
Biden pitches student loan forgiveness for millionsSpeed Read The latest relief plan would benefit nearly 30 million borrowers
