"Do you think if you were not a multi-billionaire, if your family had not made hundreds of millions of dollars in contributions to the Republican party, that you would be sitting here today?" "You have no experience with financial aid," Warren summed up when DeVos answered "no. "I have major concerns with how you have spent your career and fortune fighting to privatize public education and gut investments in public schools," said Washington's Patty Murray, the committee's Senior Democrat.DeVos scrambled to reassure them she supports taxpayer-backed education. She also said she will work to give parents choices in the schools their children attend, treat all students equally and respect states' decisions on education.The hearing, which was delayed from last week over missing financial disclosures, began at 5 p.m. (EST). Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander only allotted each member five minutes for questions.

Source: Economic Times January 18, 2017 06:05 UTC