There were enough questions and concerns about this (and only “craptions” – the auto generated YouTube captions available here, boo):
and this (also “craptioned”) that Besty DeVos’ committee vote, originally scheduled to take place today, has been postponed to Jan. 31
(see Washington Post article here about it).
I’m sure the postponement was also due to the parent-army of kids with disabilities and people with disabilities themselves, calling, emailing, trumpeting the fact that this woman Should Not Be in Education. Ever, full stop, let alone as the Secretary of Education.
While the committee vote has been postponed, it’s not over yet. The cows haven’t come home, and we still have to round them up.
What you can do NOW
-
In This Post You Will Find:
CALL.
We can keep on calling until the end of January. The numbers are here:
Sample script (to say when calling, if you are unsure):
Sample Script:
“Hello, my name is [your name]. I am calling from [your town and state] to ask [your Senator] to oppose Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. In the Senate confirmation hearings Tuesday night, DeVos revealed a stunning ignorance of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, known as the IDEA, which requires public schools to provide free and appropriate education to all students with disabilities. She didn’t even know that the IDEA was a federal law, and refused to commit to protecting students with special needs. She wouldn’t commit to holding charter and voucher schools to the same standards as traditional public schools. Students with disabilities deserve a Secretary of Education who understands their needs and who understands the law that protects them. Please join me in opposing the appointment of Betsy DeVos.
2. EMAIL, Part 1
It’s easy to send an email through the National Education Association’s Legislative Action Center. Just click this link and it will take you directly to the form that you fill out with your information, which they use to fill out the Senator’s forms. They connect you automatically with your state’s senators, and boom. There you go. Couldn’t be easier.
3. Email, Part 2
Contact your senators and the senators on the HELP committee, linked here, and pasted below. Ask them to vote no on her confirmation. Adding a personal story about what IDEA or public education in general means for your family is a good move here.
What we can do is that simple, and it’s that profound.
We need to be able to say with confidence that we really did everything we could.
Below is the list of all Senators on the Senate HELP Committee, who heard testimony from Secretary of Education nominee Betsy DeVos. If you care about public education, and about the education of people with disabilities, call them. Please.
Alexander, Lamar (TN),Chairman
Phone: (202) 224-4944
Enzi, Michael B. (WY)
Phone: (202) 224-3424
Burr, Richard (NC)
(202) 224-3154
Isakson, Johnny (GA)
(202) 224 – 3643
Paul, Rand (KY)
202-224-4343
Collins, Susan M. (ME)
(202) 224 – 2523
Cassidy, Bill (LA)
(202) 224-5824
Young, Todd (IN)
(202) 224 – 5623
Hatch, Orrin G. (UT)
(202) 224-5251
Roberts, Pat (KS)
202-224-4774
Murkowski, Lisa (AK)
(202)-224-6665
Scott, Tim (SC)
(202) 224-6121
Murray, Patty (WA), Ranking Member
(202) 224-2621
Sanders, Bernard (VT)
(202) 224-5141
Casey, Robert P. (PA)
(202) 224-6324
Franken, Al (MN)
(202) 224-5641
Bennet, Michael F. (CO)
202-224-5852
Whitehouse, Sheldon (RI)
(202) 224-2921
Baldwin, Tammy (WI)
(202) 224-5653
Murphy, Christopher (CT)
(202) 224-4041
Warren, Elizabeth (MA)
(202) 224-4543
Kaine, Tim (VA)
(202) 224-4024
Hassan, Margaret Wood (NH)
(202) 224-3324
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2 Comments
Sen. Murray says she will vote against her (as will the other WA senator), not that that does a lot as a minority Democrat. Please target Republicans!
YES! Evidently, they only need 3 republicans to vote against her and she’ll be out of the picture.