"I rise this morning to speak directly to my friends on the other side of the aisle. Now is the time to put country before party. … Take the nomination we are now considering, Betsy DeVos for education secretary. In my mind, she is the least qualified nominee," Sen. Chuck Schumer said in a speech Monday.
Senate Democrats are putting on a 24-hour speech marathon in hopes of convincing at least one more Republican to reject President Donald Trump's pick for education secretary, Betsy DeVos.
The marathon is a last-ditch effort to avoid a tied confirmation vote.
"Betsy DeVos doesn't believe in public schools. Her only knowledge of student loans seems to come from her own financial investments," Sen. Elizabeth Warren told the Senate.
If it comes down to an even split in the Senate, the vice president will get the deciding vote, most likely ensuring DeVos gets the job.
A few Republicans have spoken during the marathon, but they've mostly talked about other issues.
"President Trump's outstanding Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, has earned high praise from all across the political spectrum," Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell began his speech.
Two Republican Senators — Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine — have already broken ranks with their party and said they'll vote to reject DeVos.
