WASHINGTON, DC (WOOD) — Newly-minted Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos will give her first address to the department she now presides over on Wednesday.
Woodtv.com will be livestreaming the speech, which is expected to begin around 2 p.m.
DeVos was narrowly confirmed by the Senate Tuesday. Mike Pence became the first vice president to cast a tie-breaking vote on a Cabinet nomination.
Two Republican senators – Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – broke from their party in voting against DeVos. Both said they appreciate DeVos’ commitment to children and learning, but that her lack of experience in the nation’s public schools is a deep concern.
Both of Michigan’s democratic senators – Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters – also voted down DeVos’ nomination.
DeVos was sworn in hours after the Senate vote by Pence, who told the new Cabinet member: “I wasn’t just voting for you. Having seen your devotion to improving the quality of education for some of our most vulnerable children across the nation for so many years, I was also casting a vote for America’s children.”