Senate confirms DeVos with tie-breaking vote by Pence

February 7, 2017
  • Industry News

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Betsy DeVos to lead the Department of Education by the slimmest of margins, capping off a rocky, high-stakes fight for President Trump's pick. 
 
Vice President Mike Pence cast the rare deciding vote on DeVos, breaking a 50-50 tie after Republican Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) became the first senators to oppose a Trump Cabinet pick, joining all Democrats.
 
Pence is the first vice president ever to cast a decisive vote on a nominee. The last time a VP broke a tie in the Senate was 2008, when then-Vice President Dick Cheney voted on a tax adjustment plan.

Read more at The Hill: http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/318262-senate-confirms-devos-with-tie-breaking-vote-by-pence