Adapted from a story by The Washington Post’s Valerie Strauss.
DeVos was there to answer questions about the Education Department’s 2019 budget request, and the question she heard the most was: Why aren’t you directly answering my question?
Here are some instances in which DeVos attempted to skirt giving direct answers:
• Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) brought up the recent controversial remarks DeVos made about whether principals and teachers are permitted by federal law to report undocumented immigrant students to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. At a House hearing on May 23, she said it was a “school decision” or a “local community decision.”
DeVos was slammed by civil rights groups, and Murphy wanted to hear her clarify her remarks. He asked her a yes-or-no question, but it took five attempts to get her to answer — and even then, she didn’t give a definitive response.
Murphy asked whether is it okay for a teacher or principal to report an undocumented student to ICE.
“I don’t think they can,” DeVos eventually said.
• Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) couldn’t understand why the Education department’s 2019 budget proposal zeroed out a program in West Virginia used to help students deal with the effects of opioid addiction in their homes. Manchin said it was “imperative” that the state’s program identify and move out of harm’s way students affected by opioid addiction.
DeVos couldn’t provide details to his satisfaction. She tried to explain why the department had done so, and suggested the state could apply money from other programs to the opioid intervention.
DeVos said that some of the school choice funding could be used for connectivity issues. At that point, Manchin invited her to visit rural areas in West Virginia so she could better understand the issues.
• Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) asked DeVos whether the Federal Commission on School Safety will look at how school safety is affected by guns and gun violence.
“That is not part of the commission’s charge, per se,” she responded.
But it actually is. After the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., Trump created the commission to look at a range of issues and make recommendations, including on age restrictions for certain firearms purchases.
• Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) said funding to improve school infrastructure was not part of Trump’s infrastructure proposal, and he noted that the Education Department’s budget had no funding for that purpose either.
DeVos couldn’t directly answer why the federal government had no role in helping communities fix and maintain crumbling public school facilities so students are not trying to learn in buildings with collapsing ceilings.
Reed asked her if she would advocate that the president include schools in federal infrastructure spending.
DeVos responded: “Infrastructure is a state and local issue, and it’s a matter for those entities to address and deal with.”
