January 18, 2017

DeVos Hearing Recap

By Bellwether

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Betsy DeVos hearing short version:

– Some of the questions were gotchas, some were softballs, but still, she is out of her depth on policy and will need a strong team. The Department oversees a lot of issues not just school choice advocacy.

– It was a rocky performance on policy specifics – the IDEA issue in particular – but barring something new that doesn’t matter to this process and she’ll get through. In the weird ways of Washington the hearing was a success for everyone. The Dems got to rough her up and make some points and get some media, the Rs will deliver a nominee for the new president (albeit on what looks like a tight vote). It seems like there are bigger fish to fry though – I work in this sector but honestly am a lot more concerned about the possibility of the nation’s chief diplomat having undisclosed financial ties to our global adversaries than about Betsy DeVos not knowing the ins and outs of growth models (and most of the people attacking her about it don’t either).

– This issue of guns and bears attacks on schools that DeVos raised is an easy punch line but turns out it’s a real problem. (Other examples here.)

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