The fate of Betsy DeVos’ bid to become secretary of education rests in the hands of an Education Department official, with a top-level meeting set for Friday at which a draft plan for her nomination is expected to be presented.
That’s according to a person familiar with the matter who asked to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the matter.
It’s a key moment for the future of the Trump administration, as the secretary of Education, who is expected on Friday to meet with top administration officials in Washington.
The president is pushing for a Cabinet-level transition team to fill the vacant post, and DeVos, who has never held elected office, is a likely pick.
Her confirmation hearing will be the first chance for Trump to formally weigh in on her nomination, which is currently being vetted by the Senate.
If she is confirmed, DeVos would be the second woman in the history of the department to serve in a Cabinet.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal deliberations ahead of Friday’s vote.
If confirmed, she would become the first woman in her position.
The president has repeatedly questioned the validity of the Education Department’s race to determine who should run the department and, more broadly, whether the Trump White House can effectively use education as a political tool.
She has not publicly weighed in on the nomination.
Her nomination has been fraught from the start.
She was considered a top contender for secretary of state during the 2016 election and was considered the front-runner to succeed former Vice President Mike Pence.
But she was defeated in the Republican primary.
Her selection is being closely watched by Democratic lawmakers and activists.
Republicans have not been shy about the fact that they would oppose DeVos if confirmed.
“Betsy DeVos is a disaster for the education of our children, our children’s children, and our childrens future,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the ranking member of the Senate Education Committee, is one of the senators pushing for DeVos to be confirmed, arguing she’s the right person to lead the department.
Murray said in an interview last week that DeVos’ record is “very bad.”
But she said it’s important to remember she is only in her second term and the administration is already on the verge of a major reorganization.
“I think it is important to keep in mind that we’re moving into a transition and a very complicated one,” Murray said.
