Newtown Group Outraged at Confirmation of Betsy DeVos

NEWTOWN, CT — A local group condemned members of the U.S. Senate after the controversial confirmation Betsy DeVos as the U.S. Secretary of Education Tuesday, whose position on whether guns should be allowed in schools has been condemned by gun control activists.

The Newtown Action Alliance, a group formed after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings which fights to reduce gun violence in America, issued a statement saying it was outraged that 51 Republicans voted in favor of the confirmation. In an unprecedented split, DeVos was confirmed after Vice President Mike Pence broke a 50-50 stalemate in the Senate and voted in her favor.

In addition to criticizing her lack of experience in public schools, the group claimed that DeVos supports the NRA's "guns in schools" agenda as well as her inexperience in overseeing lockdown drills for potential active shooting situations in classrooms.

“It’s a sad day for all school children, educators, and parents in America," read the Newtown Action Alliance's statement."The majority of Republican members of the U.S. Senate confirmed an unqualified billionaire who supports the NRA’s "guns in schools" agenda. Betsy DeVos nor any of her children attended public schools and she is not an educator. She has not been forced to oversee lockdown drills for potential active shooting situations in classrooms. We will work vehemently to oppose the NRA’s efforts to put guns in our schools to protect our children."

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In addition, the group included a list of the names of the 51 Republicans who voted in favor of DeVos, as well as their re-election dates.

"We are outraged that these 51 Republicans voted “yes” for Betsy DeVos," read the statement."We hope the voters will hold them accountable on Election Day in 2018 and 2020.”

The events of Dec. 14, 2012, became an undertone during a part of DeVos' confirmation hearing. During the proceedings, DeVos fielded a question from Sen. Christopher Murphy asking whether she thought guns had a place in public schools.

Although she did not explicitly support guns in schools, she first said the decision should be left up to locales and states to decide and said she would support President Donald Trump if he decided to ban gun-free school zones.

The second part of her response, however, went viral and embroiled gun control activists and those who oppose the presence of firearms in public schools.

"I think there is probably a gun in the school to protect from potential grizzlies," DeVos said, citing a school in Wyoming.

DeVos later acknowledged the victims of gun violence in schools, saying her "heart bleeds" for any individual or family affected by gun violence. Her answers were met by a swift response from Murphy.

"I look forward to working with you, but I also look forward to you coming to Connecticut to talk about the role of guns in schools," said Murphy.

Murphy spoke in opposition of DeVos' confirmation Tuesday morning. After the vote was completed, Murphy issued a statement saying he would "overtime" to help DeVos, but wouldn't be afraid to fight against her.

“I voted against Betsy DeVos today because people in Connecticut couldn’t understand why a person who has fought so hard to undermine public schools would be put in charge of them. I heard from thousands of Connecticut parents and teachers who are concerned with Mrs. DeVos’s agenda, and as a parent of two young boys, I share their concerns,” said Murphy in a statement. “Now that she’s confirmed, I’ll work to help her understand our public schools. I’ll work overtime to help when she’s doing something that’s good for kids, and I’ll fight to stop her when she’s not.”

Image by Keith A. Almli - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Betsy_Devos.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link