Senate Democrats Plan to Protest Betsy DeVos’ Confirmation By Debating All Night
BREAKING: Senate Democrats are planning to take over the Senate floor all day today and through the night in order to voice their opposition to Betsy DeVos for Education secretary.
Right now, the Senate is at a 50-50 tie – and Vice President Mike Pence can come in tomorrow to break the tie. No Democrats will support DeVos’s and Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska have announced they will also vote against DeVos.
Democrats’ all-night debate is not a filibuster, which is a tactic that seeks to delay or block a vote. Instead, it is an attempt to call more public attention to the vote. The Senate Democrats are hoping their last ditch effort will convince one more Republican to jump ship.
“Democrats will hold the floor for the next 24 hours, until the final vote, to do everything we can to persuade just one more Republican to join us,” Senator Patty Murray said from the Senate floor Monday.
