Senator Maggie Hassan: Betsy DeVos’ Letter on IDEA “Reinforces That She is Unfit to Serve as Secretary of Education”

Senator Maggie Hassan: Betsy DeVos' Letter on IDEA "Reinforces That She is Unfit to Serve as Secretary of Education"

WASHINGTON - Today, Senator Maggie Hassan released the following statement in response to the letter from Betsy DeVos, President Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Education, to Senator Isakson on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act:

"While I'm glad Mrs. DeVos clarified that she is no longer confused about whether the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is a federal law and was able to define the basic tenets of this law, her letter does nothing to reassure me that she will enforce the IDEA or honor our commitment to ensuring that all students receive a free and appropriate public education. In addition, Mrs. DeVos failed to address the original question I posed to her in her confirmation hearing, which was about why she is comfortable with voucher programs that force parents and students to sign away their rights under IDEA.

"Between her lack of experience with public education, her support for diverting taxpayer dollars to private schools without accountability requirements, and her lack of understanding of the challenges facing students with disabilities, Mrs. DeVos has shown herself to be completely unqualified for this position - and her recent letter has only reinforced that she is unfit to serve as Secretary of Education. I will vote against Mrs. DeVos' nomination and I urge my colleagues to do the same."

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