In her confirmation hearing on Tuesday, Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trump’s education secretary nominee, was grilled about her lack of experience in public education, and about her controversial philanthropic history. She punted when asked about her stance on gun-free zones in schools, and would not commit to a full-throated support for public schools.

DeVos, a 59-year-old billionaire from Grand Rapids, Michigan, is an ardent supporter of charter schools and voucher programs, a divisive option that is barred in many states. She has scant experience in public education but has a long history of advocating for private schooling options.

In 1993, as the chairwomen for the Michigan GOP, DeVos pushed the law that legalized charter schools in the state. Today, charter schools are legal in 43 states and the District of Columbia. After seeing success as an advocate for charter schools, DeVos set her sights on voucher programs, which use taxpayer dollars to encourage families to enroll their children in private or religious schools.

If you missed Betsy DeVos’ confirmation hearing for education secretary yesterday, here’s a recap from @npr_ed: https://t.co/3dUjVePRWx

— NPR (@NPR) January 18, 2017

Her attempts to bring voucher programs to Michigan failed however, when a ballot measure she backed in 2000, which would have legalized them in the state, did not pass. Thirteen states and D.C. have instituted voucher programs for qualifying students. Critics of voucher programs say they fail to foster diversity, and that they suck resources from public schools, which could adversely affect low-income students. Supporters say they encourage competition and innovation, and increase the options available for families to educate their children.

In her hearing on Tuesday, DeVos was asked about her commitment to public education. “Can you commit to us that you will not work to privatize public schools or cut a single penny from public education?” asked Sen. Pat Murray (D-WA). DeVos replied that she supports “options” and that “not all schools are working for the students that are assigned to them.” She did not explicitly say she would not cut funding for public schools.

Democrats also prodded DeVos on her stance on gun-free zones in schools, as well as the millions of dollars she and her family have poured into some controversial causes. For instance, DeVos gave money to Focus on the Family, a conservative Christian group that supports conversion therapy, an ineffective practice meant to change a person’s sexual orientation. DeVos estimated she and her family have spent $200 million in donations.

Tuesday’s hearing resulted in one lightning rod answer that is making the rounds on social media. When asked about whether she supported Trump’s stance on gun-free zones in schools (he said he’d ban them), DeVos said: “I think that’s best left to locales and states to decide.” She alluded to a school in Wyoming that erected a fence to protect students from wildlife, suggesting guns could be useful in such a situation. “I think probably there, I would imagine that there’s probably a gun in the school to protect from potential grizzlies,” she said.

Twitter had a field day with her answer:

What a grizzly image. pic.twitter.com/IjRFc7v99g

— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) January 18, 2017

Raise your hand if you’re more qualified than #BetsyDeVos to be the next Secretary of Education. #DeVosHearing pic.twitter.com/22yfLZVU8A

— Diane N. Sevenay (@Diane_7A) January 18, 2017

Alec Siegel

Alec Siegel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. When he’s not working at Law Street he’s either cooking a mediocre tofu dish or enjoying a run in the woods. His passions include: gooey chocolate chips, black coffee, mountains, the Animal Kingdom in general, and John Lennon. Baklava is his achilles heel. Contact Alec at ASiegel@LawStreetMedia.com.

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As recently as October, she expressed her distaste for President-elect Donald Trump, saying she would vote for him, but is “not a fan.” But on Wednesday, Trump announced Governor Nikki Haley (R-SC) will serve in his cabinet as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, succeeding President Obama’s appointee, Samantha Power. The daughter of immigrants from India’s Punjab region, Haley is the first Indian-American to serve in a presidential cabinet.

Though Haley, 44, and Trump often sparred during the primary season, the two will now be working together. In a statement on Wednesday morning, Trump said his new cabinet appointment has “a proven track record of bringing people together regardless of background or party affiliation to move critical policies forward for the betterment of her state and our country.” However, Haley has less of a track record in regard to foreign policy.

As U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Haley will have a heavy influence in shaping and resolving international decrees and disputes. Though she has little foreign policy experience, Haley did travel abroad as governor several times to attract foreign businesses to her state.

Despite her lack of a deep resume in the foreign policy realm, and the vitriol she often expressed for Trump during the campaign, Haley cited a “sense of duty” in a statement on her new assignment. She added: “When the president believes you have a major contribution to make to the welfare of our nation, and to our nation’s standing in the world, that is a calling that is important to heed.”

Haley became the first female, and minority, governor of South Carolina when she was elected in 2010. She made national headlines in 2015, when she called on the statehouse to remove the Confederate flag from its premises after a white gunman killed nine people at a historic black church in Charleston and used the flag as a motif of his twisted ideology. The flag was removed.

Haley, whose birth name is Nimrata Randhawa (her parents sometimes called her “Nikki,” meaning “small one” in Hindi), and Trump consistently expressed mutual dislike during the primary campaign, in which Haley supported Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. During her Republican rebuttal to President Obama’s State of the Union address in January, Haley dismissed Trump’s fiery rhetoric.

“Some people think that you have to be the loudest voice in the room to make a difference,” she said. “That is just not true. Often, the best thing we can do is turn down the volume.” Trump responded by saying Haley is “very, very weak on illegal immigration.” All that is in the past now, apparently, and both Trump and Haley seem ready to move on from past barbs and into a new era of cooperation.

While awaiting the Senate’s confirmation of her appointment, Haley will continue serving out her second term as governor. Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster, an early Trump supporter, will take over as governor should Haley be confirmed.

Alec Siegel

Alec Siegel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. When he’s not working at Law Street he’s either cooking a mediocre tofu dish or enjoying a run in the woods. His passions include: gooey chocolate chips, black coffee, mountains, the Animal Kingdom in general, and John Lennon. Baklava is his achilles heel. Contact Alec at ASiegel@LawStreetMedia.com.

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