Washington, DC – Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, released the following statement on the confirmation hearing of Elisabeth DeVos to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, which the Committee held last night:
“Rhode Islanders have serious concerns about Mrs. DeVos’s nomination and last night’s hasty, after-hours hearing didn’t come close to addressing them. In fact, her testimony raised more questions than it answered, like whether she supports teaching sound science in our schools. I am particularly disappointed she came before the Committee without submitting the ethics paperwork disclosing possible conflicts of interests. Our public school teachers have to go through a thorough vetting; we should expect the same of our Education Secretary. Education is the key to the American Dream. Last night, Mrs. DeVos did nothing to show parents, teachers, and students in Rhode Island she has the ability or vision to help every American gain the skills they need to succeed.”
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