Bernie Sanders continued to have his way with Donald Trump’s cabinet picks on Tuesday, this time confronting Trump education pick Betsy DeVos about the reported $200 million in donations her family has given to Republican candidates.
The Vermont senator cut right to the chase, asking DeVos if she would have even gotten picked by Trump had she not forked over millions in donations to the GOP.
Video:
.@SenSanders to Education pick: Would you be here if your family hasn’t donated millions to the Republican Party? https://t.co/pcqU3c7Qpr pic.twitter.com/A2z7kKkGur
— The Situation Room (@CNNSitRoom) January 17, 2017
After pointing out the enormous amount of money DeVos has given to the Republican Party, Sanders asked, “Do you think, if you were not a multi-billionaire, if your family has not made hundreds of millions of dollars of contributions to the Republican Party, that you would be sitting here today?”
DeVos responded: “Senator, as a matter of fact, I do think that there would be that possibility. I’ve worked very hard on behalf of parents and children for the last almost 30 years to be a voice for students and to empower parents to make decisions on behalf of their children, primarily low-income children.”
Despite her words, DeVos is likely the most anti-public education nominee in the department’s history. She’s also an anti-LGBTQ religious extremist who, as the Huffington Post reported yesterday, has said public schools should be used to “advance God’s Kingdom.”
Directly after her blunt exchange with Sanders, Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch came to DeVos’ rescue and slammed the Vermont senator, saying, “Unlike others here who may be interested in attacking your donations, I know that you want to do right by all children, so I will stick to focusing on how we can work together on sound policy.”
In case you were wondering, Sen. Hatch has received thousands in campaign contributions from – drum roll, please – Betsy DeVos and her family.
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
