Controversial Education Secretary nominee Betsy DeVos was confirmed on Tuesday, and all but one of the ten Senators from the High Plains region helped her win the seat.
As The New York Times reports,the vote came down to a historic 50/50 tie, with Vice President Mike Pence casting the tiebreaking vote. This is the first time in history that a Senate vote on a cabinet-level position has ended in a tie.
Voting in favor of DeVos were Senators Cornyn and Cruz of Texas, Senators Inhofe and Lankford of Oklahoma, Senators Moran and Roberts of Kansas, Senators Fischer and Sasse of Nebraska, and Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado. The only High Plains Senator to vote against DeVos was also the only Democratic Senator in the region, Michael Bennett of Colorado.
DeVos has drawn criticism for what seemed like confused responses during confirmation, and her history of opposition to public school funding.