A Trump Nominee, Devos, Draws First Republican Senate Opponents

Source: Bloomberg

Collins, Murkowski announce opposition to Betsy DeVos
They are first Republicans to oppose a Trump nominee

Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski said Wednesday that they won’t support Betsy DeVos as President Donald Trump’s education secretary, meaning that one additional GOP opponent could block her nomination.

The pair became the first GOP senators to oppose one of Trump’s nominees as they announced their opposition to her nomination on the Senate floor. Republican leaders quickly moved Wednesday to tee up DeVos as the next nominee to receive a floor vote, scheduling a procedural vote on her nomination.

That means her confirmation vote would come before those of more high-profile nominees, including Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions to run the Justice Department. Given the opposition of Collins and Murkowski, Republicans now need Sessions’s vote to confirm DeVos.

Most Democrats have already announced that they plan to oppose DeVos as well. If all Democrats are opposed, and the vote ends up 50-50, Vice President Mike Pence could cast the tie-breaking vote to confirm her

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-02-01/two-gop-senators-to-oppose-devos-as-trump-s-education-secretary?utm_content=politics&utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&cmpid%253D=socialflow-twitter-politics