Casey will vote against confirmation of DeVos, Sessions, Pruitt
In a statement this afternoon, Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey said he had decided to vote not to confirm three of President-Elect Donald Trump's most controversial nominees: Secretary of Education nominee Betsy DeVos, Attorney General nominee Sen. Jeff Sessions, and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator nominee Scott Pruitt.
Mr. Casey said he came to the decisions after "deliberations, hearings, and review of available paperwork," and offered a justification for opposing each candidate.
He said he had "significant concerns" about Ms. Devos, noting that she "has no experience in public education," and charging that her advocacy "centered upon pursuing efforts to undermine and privatize public schools"; Ms. DeVos' advocacy on behalf of charter and private schools has given even some charter supporters pause.
Mr. Casey also singled out Ms. DeVos for her support of "radical organizations that have sought to weaken protections for victims of campus sexual assault." That's an apparent reference to groups like the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, which has contested federal efforts to compel universities to act more aggressively on campus sex crimes. Mr. Casey himself sponsored legislation to establish uniform requirements for reporting such crime on campus.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/early-returns/ernational/2017/01/18/Casey-will-vote-against-confirmation-of-DeVos-Sessions-Pruitt/stories/201701180179