Today, Betsy DeVos was confirmed as U.S. Secretary of Education in a 50-50 vote that was broken by Vice President Mike Pence. This is the first time a vice president has had to break a tie in the confirmation of a cabinet secretary.
Mara Keisling, Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, said:
We are disappointed that Betsy DeVos has been confirmed as Secretary of Education after unprecedented public opposition to her nomination. As we have before, we continue to call on her to disavow disturbing anti-transgender statements and positions of organizations she has been a major donor to, including statements that transgender people are ‘broken' and that transgender people should not be teachers. Now that she will be in charge of the Department of Education, she must carry out her legal responsibility to protect and support all students, including vulnerable transgender students. We insist that she meet with transgender students and their parents to hear their stories.
