Betsy DeVos shook the Internet when she suggested that some schools may have guns to guard against grizzlies, but Democrats overall failed to scare president-elect Donald Trump's education secretary pick during her hearing Tuesday.
DeVos, whose husband Dick is the son of the Amway cofounder, survived intense questioning from Senate Democrats, including former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Al Franken, Forbes reported.
"Democratic senators tried their best to rattle Betsy DeVos at her confirmation hearing to be Education Secretary on Tuesday, but she glided serenely through the process," Forbes contributor Maureen Sullivan wrote.
"The Democratic senators, who each spent time decrying the five-minute limit on questioning, stayed away from hot topics such as Common Core curriculum standards, standardized testing and transgender bathrooms. Instead, they focused on her record of charitable giving (considerable), her tax returns (not required) and conversion therapy for gays (she never supported it)," Sullivan added.
DeVos's critics have argued that her support of school choice and vouchers would pull resources from struggling public schools and stifle diversity, NBC News reported. Her supporters, though, stated that such initiatives would foster a competitive environment that would create educational innovation and offer parents more choices in their children's education.
The New York Times said DeVos was "unshakable" during the hearing in her belief that states and local school boards are best equipped to answer questions like guns in schools, how to investigate sexual assault on college campuses, or how to measure learning.
"They tried their best to turn her into Cruella de Vil, but America got to see the real Betsy DeVos first hand," Ed Patru, a spokesman for a group calling itself Friends of Betsy DeVos, told the Times. "The country saw an authentic, compassionate and eminently reasonable education leader who is committed to empowering parents and putting kids first."
DeVos's answer to a question from Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy from Connecticut received the most Internet buzz, including memes. When pressed to address the issue of guns in schools, DeVos referred to an earlier remark by Wyoming Sen. Mike Enzi who mentioned that an elementary school in Wapiti, Wyoming erected a fence to protect children from wildlife, NBC News noted.
"I think probably there, I would imagine that there's probably a gun in the school to protect from potential grizzlies," DeVos said at the hearing.
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