The US Senate confirms Donald Trump’s pick for education secretary via a tie-breaking vote by Vice President Mike Pence, marking the first time in US history that a VP changes a 50-50 vote.
Pence made history Tuesday by casting the decisive vote in favor of granting the Department of Education to billionaire Betsy DeVos.
Democrats who were doing their best to reject DeVos were joined by Republican Senators Susan Collins, from Maine, and Lisa Murkowski from Alaska to reach a tie on the vote in the GOP-majority Congress.
Pence, the former Indiana governor, took over the presiding chair and cast his vote after the draw.
“It’s the Republican side demanding a vote for an unqualified candidate,” said top Democratic Senator Charles Schumer, who failed to recruit a third Republican to back his agenda. “I hope against hope that another Republican will have the courage ... [to] join us.”
After the vote, the White House censured Democrats for their obstructionist moves against the new president’s cabinet picks.
According to spokesman Sean Spicer, the vote is yet "another glaring reminder of the unprecedented obstruction Senate Democrats have engaged in throughout this process.”
Democrats held a rare all-night session to whip up support for opposition against DeVos (pictured above alongside Trump) but to no avail.
“A vote for Ms. DeVos is a vote to destroy the public school system,” said New Mexico Democratic Senator Tom Udall.