Senate

Democrats plan all-night protest ahead of DeVos vote

by Jordain Carney - 02/06/17 12:39 PM ET

Senate Democrats are planning a rare all-night talkathon to protest Betsy DeVos’s nomination for Education secretary ahead of an expected vote on Tuesday.

“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,” Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said from the Senate floor Monday.

Unless Democrats agree to yield back some debate time, a final vote on DeVos is expected for noon Tuesday, when Vice President Mike Pence will likely need to break a 50-50 tie.

{mosads}A spokesman for Murray confirmed that “Democrats plan to keep the floor open and there will be speeches over the night in this final push.”

Multiple Senate Democrats indicated on Monday afternoon that they would take part in the late-night session to voice their objections to President Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Education.

Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) said shortly after the Senate came into session at noon Monday that Democrats would speak out against DeVos from the Senate floor “for the next 24 hours.”

For the next 24 hours, @SenateDems will #HoldTheFloor to oppose the nomination of Betsy DeVos.

— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) February 6, 2017

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) added that is he is scheduled to speak at 2 a.m.

DeVos, a GOP mega-donor, has been the subject of fierce opposition from teachers unions and other liberal groups over her support for charter schools and tuition vouchers using public funds.

She cleared a key procedural hurdle during a rare Friday morning session in a party-line 52-48 vote.

No Democrat is expected to support DeVos’s nomination. GOP Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) are expected to vote against her.

Opponents are running out of time to find a crucial third Republican to help them sink DeVos. Republican Sens. Pat Toomey (Pa.), John Hoeven (N.D.), Dean Heller (Nev.) and Deb Fischer (Neb.) — each considered potential candidates to flip and oppose DeVos — announced late last week that they would support Trump’s nominee.