Sen. Hedi Heitkamp (D) North Dakota

Washington  DC  (CSi)  U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp Tuesday stood up for North Dakota’s – especially those in rural areas – by voting against Betsy DeVos for secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

 

Following the U.S. Senate hearing on DeVos’ nomination during which she demonstrated her lack of knowledge of basic education policy and her refusal to commit to supporting public schools under oath, Heitkamp last week announced her opposition to DeVos. Heitkamp also spoke on the Senate floor on Friday to urge her colleagues to oppose DeVos’ nomination. During Heitkamp’s remarks, she invoked the concerns thousands of North Dakotans have expressed about DeVos and the future of public schools under her leadership.

 

“Growing up in a rural town in Mantador, I know how precious public school education is, especially for students in rural America,” said Heitkamp. “Today I voted against confirming Betsy DeVos to lead public schools across rural communities like mine for one very simple reason: Our kids deserve better. During her Senate hearing, Ms. DeVos could not deliver responses to basic education policy questions, or commit to supporting the future of public education. Her refusal and lack of awareness of laws on the books protecting every students’ access to a quality education – including for students with disabilities – signaled a level of disregard for the sacred opportunity of public education. Our kids are counting on us to confirm an education secretary who will strengthen public school system that tells them, ‘no matter where you come from, if you work hard – you can achieve’ – not one who will privatize, defund, and crush that chance.”

 

Heitkamp’s office has received more than 3,300 emails, letters, and phone calls from North Dakotans about DeVos’ nomination, including through a new online portal she launched in early January on her website where North Dakotans can offer their questions and comments on President Trump’s Cabinet-level nominees.

 

Based on those comments, about 90 percent of the North Dakotans who reached out to Heitkamp’s office opposed DeVos’ nomination.

 

Heitkamp’s office has received more than 5,800 phone calls, emails, and letters from North Dakotans about all of Trump’s Cabinet-level nominees, and the comments from North Dakotans on DeVos’ nomination account for more than half of all the comments Heitkamp’s office has received on nominees.