President Donald Trump's selection for education secretary, billionaire mega-donor Betsy DeVos, appears to be his most embattled Cabinet pick, but Senate Republicans have largely held tight in their support.
Senate GOP leaders are confident they can squeak DeVos through the Senate with the support of 50 Republican senators Tuesday afternoon, plus a historic tie-breaking vote from Vice President Mike Pence.
"The point is we're at a 50-50 moment where we only need one more senator to break and vote against Betsy DeVos and she won't be confirmed, and so we want to make our argument up until the last minute to see if we can get that 51st vote," Sen. Chris Murphy told CNN's Alisyn Camerota Tuesday on "New Day."
The surprise defection of two Republican senators last week -- Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine -- coupled with an intense lobbying effort by liberal and Democratic groups has made DeVos the first of Trump's Cabinet picks to face serious jeopardy.
DeVos' poor performance in her confirmation hearing -- punctuated by her suggestion that a school in Wyoming might want to have guns on premises to protect from grizzly bears -- contributed to roaring anger among public school supporters and teachers unions. Even before her hearing, critics pointed to DeVos lack of experience with public schools and bankrolling efforts to support opposing ideas like school vouchers.
Murphy also said that DeVos seemed to have no knowledge of the federal law that protects students with disabilities.
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