Senate advances DeVos, sets up cliffhanger vote next week

Published February 3, 2017 12:17pm ET



The Senate voted early Friday to advance Betsy DeVos as President Trump’s nominee to be the next secretary of education, setting up a final vote early next week that will likely require Vice President Mike Pence to get her through the Senate.

The early morning vote was on whether the Senate should end debate on the nominee, and move to a confirmation vote. In the past, votes to end debate required 60 senators to agree, but under rules changed by Democrats in 2013, they only require a simple majority, usually 51.

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