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Wikipedia

Betsy DeVos

February 15, 2024

Elisabeth Dee DeVos (/dəˈvɒs/ də-VOSS; née Prince; born January 8, 1958) is an American politician, philanthropist, and former government official who served as the 11th United States secretary of education from 2017 to 2021. DeVos is known for her conservative political activism,[1] and particularly her support for school choice, school voucher programs, and charter schools.[2][3][4][5] She was Republican national committeewoman for Michigan from 1992 to 1997 and served as chair of the Michigan Republican Party from 1996 to 2000, and again from 2003 to 2005. She has advocated for the Detroit charter school system[6][7] and she is a former member of the board of the Foundation for Excellence in Education. She has served as chair of the board of the Alliance for School Choice and the Acton Institute and headed the All Children Matter PAC.[8]

Betsy DeVos
Official portrait, 2017
11th United States Secretary of Education
In office
February 7, 2017 – January 8, 2021
PresidentDonald Trump
DeputyMick Zais
Preceded byJohn King Jr.
Succeeded byMiguel Cardona
Chair of the Michigan Republican Party
In office
2003–2005
Preceded byGerald Hills
Succeeded bySaul Anuzis
In office
1996–2000
Preceded bySusy Avery
Succeeded byGerald Hills
Personal details
Born
Elisabeth Dee Prince

(1958-01-08) January 8, 1958 (age 66)
Holland, Michigan, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
​
(m. 1979)​
Children4
Parent
RelativesErik Prince (brother)
EducationCalvin College (BA)

DeVos is married to former Amway CEO Dick DeVos.[9][10] Her brother, Erik Prince, a former U.S. Navy SEAL officer, is the founder of Blackwater USA.[11][12][13] Their father is billionaire industrialist Edgar Prince, founder of the Prince Corporation.[12][13][14][15] In 2016, the family was listed by Forbes as the 88th-richest in America, with an estimated net worth of $5.4 billion.[16]

On November 23, 2016, then-President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate DeVos to serve as Secretary of Education in his administration.[17] On January 31, following strong opposition to the nomination from Democrats, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions approved her nomination on a party-line vote, sending her nomination to the Senate floor.[18] On February 7, 2017, she was confirmed by the Senate by a 51–50 margin, with Vice President Mike Pence breaking the tie in favor of her nomination. This was the first time in U.S. history that a Cabinet nominee's confirmation was decided by the vice president's tiebreaking vote.[19][20][21]

On January 7, 2021, DeVos tendered her resignation as education secretary as a result of the January 6 United States Capitol attack, saying to President Trump in her resignation letter, "There is no mistaking the impact your rhetoric had on the situation."[22] Her resignation took effect on January 8, 2021, twelve days before her term would have ended with the inauguration of Joe Biden as president.

Early life

DeVos was born Elisabeth Prince on January 8, 1958. She grew up in Holland, Michigan, the eldest of four children born to Elsa (Zwiep) Prince (later, Broekhuizen) and Edgar Prince, a billionaire industrialist.[23][24] Edgar was the founder of Prince Corporation, an automobile parts supplier based in Holland, Michigan.[14][23] She is of Dutch ancestry.[25][26]

DeVos was educated at the Holland Christian High School, a private school located in her home town of Holland, Michigan.[27] She graduated from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business economics in 1979.[28] During college, DeVos was involved with campus politics, volunteered for Gerald Ford's presidential campaign, and attended the 1976 Republican National Convention to participate in a program for young Republicans.[29][26]

DeVos grew up as a member of the Christian Reformed Church in North America.[30] She has been a member and elder of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids.[31][32] Former Fuller Seminary president Richard Mouw, with whom DeVos served on a committee, said she is influenced by Dutch neo-Calvinist theologian Abraham Kuyper, a founding figure in Christian Democracy political ideology.[3]

Political activity

 
DeVos (far left) is present as First Lady Laura Bush (far right) makes a purchase at Franklin Cider Mill. Bush was in Michigan to support DeVos's husband in his gubernatorial campaign.

Since 1982, DeVos has participated in the Michigan Republican Party. She served as a local precinct delegate for the Michigan Republican Party, having been elected for 16 consecutive two-year terms since 1986.[33] She was a Republican National Committeewoman for Michigan between 1992 and 1997,[34] and served as chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party from 1996 to 2000.[35][36] In 2004, the Lansing State Journal described DeVos as "a political pit bull for most of (Democratic) Governor [Jennifer] Granholm's 16 months in office," and said that if DeVos was not Granholm's "worst nightmare," she was "certainly her most persistent". Bill Ballenger, editor of the newsletter Inside Michigan Politics and a former Republican state senator, called DeVos "a good behind-the-scenes organizer and a good fund raiser" as well as "a true believer in core Republican issues that leave nobody in doubt on where she stands".[37] DeVos resigned the position in 2000. She said in 2000, "It is clear I have never been a rubber stamp ... I have been a fighter for the grassroots, and following is admittedly not my strong suit."[38] In 2003, DeVos ran again for party chairman and was elected to the post without opposition.[38]

Political fundraising

 
DeVos in 2005

DeVos personally raised more than $150,000 for the 2004 Bush re-election campaign,[39] and hosted a Republican fundraiser at her home in October 2008 that was headlined by President George W. Bush.[40] During the Bush administration she spent two years as the finance chairperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee and worked closely with the administration on "various projects".[41] The DeVos family has been active in Republican politics for decades, particularly as donors to candidates and the party, giving more than $17 million to political candidates and committees since 1989.[42][43]

Opposition to limits on political spending

Like other members of the DeVos family, Betsy strongly opposed government limits on political donations and spending. While popular with the American public[44] as a way to prevent (perceived) unfair domination by the wealthy in politics, DeVos and many other conservatives argue it is an infringement on free speech. In a 1997 op-ed for Roll Call, defending unlimited donations of "soft money" in political spending, DeVos compared government limits to Big Brother of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.[1] Betsy was a founding board member of the James Madison Center for Free Speech which the DeVos family funded and whose "sole goal was to end all legal restrictions on money in politics."[1]

She also wrote (in Roll Call) that she expected results from her political contributions. "My family is the largest single contributor of soft money to the national Republican Party. I have decided to stop taking offense at the suggestion that we are buying influence," she wrote. "Now I simply concede the point. They are right."[45][26] She also stated in the op-ed, "We expect to foster a conservative governing philosophy consisting of limited government and respect for traditional American virtues … We expect a return on our investment; we expect a good and honest government. Furthermore, we expect the Republican Party to use the money to promote these policies and, yes, to win elections."[46]

2016 U.S. presidential election

During the Republican Party presidential primaries for the 2016 election, DeVos initially donated to Jeb Bush and Carly Fiorina before eventually supporting Marco Rubio. In March 2016, DeVos described Donald Trump as an "interloper" and said that he "does not represent the Republican Party".[17]

Business career

DeVos is chairwoman of the Windquest Group, a privately held operating group that invests in technology, manufacturing, and clean energy. DeVos and her husband founded it in 1989.[29] With a commitment of $100 million, Betsy DeVos's family was one of the largest investors—and losers—in blood-testing company Theranos.[47]

DeVos and her husband were producers for a Broadway run of the stage play Scandalous: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson, in 2012, based on the life of the famous evangelist and featuring a book and lyrics written by Kathie Lee Gifford. The show ran for three weeks, closing in December 2012[48] after receiving negative reviews.[49][50]

Neurocore

Betsy and her husband Dick are chief investors in and board members of Neurocore, a group of brain performance centers offering biofeedback therapy for disorders such as depression, attention deficit disorder, autism, and anxiety.[51][52][53] The therapy consists of showing movies to patients and interrupting them when they become distracted, in an effort to retrain their brains. According to The New York Times, a review of Neurocore's claims and interviews with medical experts suggest that the company's conclusions are unproven and its methods questionable.[51] Democratic senators raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest and questioned whether she and her family members would "benefit financially from actions" she could take as the U.S. Secretary of Education. DeVos announced that she would step down from the company's board but would retain her investment in the company, valued at $5 million to $25 million.[51][54][55] In November 2019, Truth In Advertising filed complaints[56] against Neurocore with the Food and Drug Administration for unapproved medical devices[57] and the Federal Trade Commission for deceptive marketing.[58]

U.S. Secretary of Education

Nomination

On November 23, 2016, Trump's transition team announced DeVos as the nominee to be the next secretary of education. Upon her nomination, DeVos said "I am honored to work with the President-elect on his vision to make American education great again. The status quo in ed is not acceptable."[17] DeVos's nomination was generally criticized by teachers' unions and praised by supporters of school choice.[59]

Detroit Free Press editor Stephen Henderson expressed concerns over DeVos's nomination, writing that "DeVos isn't an educator, or an education leader".[60][61] Rebecca Mead of The New Yorker questioned the efficacy of Michigan's charter school system, which DeVos has supported.[27] Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, called DeVos "the most ideological, anti-public education nominee" since the position became a cabinet position.[62] The Michigan chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and the Michigan Democratic Party opposed DeVos's nomination.[59]

Former presidential candidates Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney respectively called DeVos an "outstanding pick" and a "smart choice".[62][63] Republican senator Ben Sasse said DeVos "has made a career out of standing up to powerful and connected special interests on behalf of poor kids who are too often forgotten by Washington". In an opinion editorial, the Chicago Tribune wrote that "DeVos has helped lead the national battle to expand education opportunities for children".[64]

Confirmation hearing

External videos
  Betsy DeVos Education Secretary Confirmation Hearing, full video of hearing from C-SPAN, January 17, 2017
  Betsy DeVos's confirmation hearing, in three minutes, The Washington Post, January 17, 2017
  Final Vote in the Senate for Confirmation of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education, full video of vote from C-SPAN, February 2, 2017

The confirmation hearing for DeVos was initially scheduled for January 10, 2017, but was delayed for one week after the Office of Government Ethics requested more time to review her financial disclosures.[65][66] On January 17, 2017, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions held the hearing, which lasted three-and-one-half hours and "quickly became a heated and partisan debate".[67] Democratic senators directed several questions toward her regarding her wealth, including questions about her family's political donations to the Republican Party and whether or not she had personal experience with financial aid or student loans.[67] Several media outlets reported that DeVos appeared to have plagiarized quotes from an Obama administration official in written answers submitted to the Senate committee.[68][69] DeVos drew widespread media attention during the confirmation hearings for suggesting that guns might have a place in some schools due to a threat from grizzly bears.[70][71][72] DeVos's comment was later lampooned by television personalities Kate McKinnon on Saturday Night Live, Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert and James Corden.[73][74][75]

Prior to DeVos's confirmation, numerous U.S. senators from both parties reported tens of thousands of their constituents having contacted their offices in opposition to the confirmation of DeVos.[76] More than 300 state lawmakers from across the U.S., overwhelmingly Democrats, voiced their opposition to DeVos's appointment in a letter to the U.S. Senate sent the day before a scheduled vote on her nomination.[77] DeVos's nomination was supported by 18 Republican governors, including John Kasich and Rick Snyder, along with the nine Republican members of Congress from Michigan.[78]

Debate and final vote

Vice President Mike Pence breaks the 50–50 tie in favor of DeVos, confirming her as U.S. secretary of education.

On January 31, DeVos's nomination was approved by the committee on a 12–11 party-line vote and was due to be voted on by the Senate.[18] Later on February 1, 2017, two Republican U.S. senators, Susan Collins from Maine and Lisa Murkowski from Alaska, came out against the confirmation (despite supporting DeVos in committee when both of them voted to move her nomination to the floor),[79] bringing the predicted confirmation vote on DeVos to 50–50 if all Democrats and independents voted as expected, meaning Vice President Mike Pence would have to break the tie.[80] During an unusually early 6:30 a.m. vote on February 3, 2017, cloture was invoked on DeVos's nomination in the Senate, requiring a final vote on the confirmation to happen after 30 hours of debate.[81]

Ahead of the scheduled final vote at noon on February 7, 2017, the Democrats in the Senate continuously spoke on the floor against the confirmation of DeVos the entire night before leading up to the vote, in protest of their strong disapproval of the nominee.[82] As expected, there was a 50–50 tie on the final vote, with all Democrats and independents, along with two Republicans (Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski), voting in opposition to DeVos, while the other fifty Republican senators voted in support of the confirmation, including Senator Jeff Sessions, who himself had been nominated by the Trump administration for the post of United States attorney general. Republicans scheduled Sessions's confirmation vote after DeVos's so that he would be able to cast his vote in support of DeVos. Had his confirmation vote been earlier than hers, he would have been forced to resign from the Senate, therefore losing a vital vote for the Republicans on the confirmation.[83][84][85] Since there was a tie, Vice President Mike Pence had to step in to decide the vote as the president of the Senate.[86] He cast his tie-breaking vote in favor of DeVos to officially confirm her as education secretary.[87] This was the first tie decided by a vice president on any vote in the Senate since the George W. Bush administration.[88][89]

Staffing

DeVos said that on the basis of her first few days in the job, she had concerns that some Education Department employees were sympathetic to the Obama administration. "I . . . would not be surprised if there are also those that would try to subvert the mission of this organization and this department," she stated. Asked what she could do about that, she said, "Whatever can be done will be done, and it will be done swiftly and surely."[90]

In April 2017, DeVos praised the president's nomination of Carlos G. Muñiz as the department's general counsel.[91]

In April 2017, DeVos named Candice Jackson Deputy Assistant Secretary in the department's Office for Civil Rights, where she will be acting assistant secretary while that higher, Senate-confirmed appointment is vacant.[92] DeVos named Jason Botel Deputy Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.[92] Botel, a registered Democrat who supported President Obama and the Black Lives Matter movement, founded the KIPP Ujima Village Academy in Baltimore, after working for Teach For America.[92]

In mid-May 2018, The New York Times reported that under DeVos, the size of the team investigating abuses and fraud by for-profit colleges was reduced from about twelve members under the Obama administration to three, with their task also being scaled back to "processing student loan forgiveness applications and looking at smaller compliance cases". DeVos also appointed Julian Schmoke as the team's new supervisor; Schmoke was a former dean of DeVry Education Group, which was one of the institutions the team had been investigating. The investigation into DeVry was not the only one stopped, others include those of Bridgepoint Education and Career Education Corporation. The Education Department has hired more ex-employees and people affiliated with those institutions, such as Robert S. Eitel, senior counselor to DeVos, Diane Auer Jones, an advisor to the department, and Carlos G. Muñiz, the department's general counsel.[93]

In October 2018, it was announced that DeVos's chief of staff, Josh Venable, would be replaced by Nate Bailey, who at that time was DeVos's chief of communications.[94] Two years later, Venable joined an anti-Trump group, the Republican Political Alliance for Integrity and Reform (REPAIR), which is led by former White House officials.[95]

Policy actions

School choice and private schools

In February 2017, DeVos released a statement calling historically black colleges "real pioneers when it comes to school choice", causing controversy as some pointed out the schools originated after segregation laws prevented African Americans from attending others. DeVos later acknowledged racism as an important factor in the history of historically black colleges.[96]

On March 24, 2017, during a visit to the Osceola County campus of Valencia College, DeVos said she was considering the extension of federal financial aid for students that were year-round and interested in placing more focus on community colleges.[97]

DeVos delivered her first extended policy address on March 29, 2017, at the Brookings Institution which included the topic of school choice which has been her main advocacy issue for more than 30 years.[98] She stated an interest in implementing choice policies directed toward children as individuals and criticizing the Obama administration's additional funding of $7 billion for the U.S.'s worst-performing schools as "throwing money at the problem" in an attempt to find a solution.[99] On May 22, 2017, DeVos announced the Trump administration was offering "the most ambitious expansion" of school choice within American history. DeVos cited Indiana (which has the U.S.'s largest school voucher program) as a potential model for a nationwide policy but did not give specific proposals.[100]

In a May 2017 House of Representatives committee hearing, Rep. Katherine Clark, said an Indiana private school which takes publicly funded vouchers maintains it is entitled to deny admission to LGBTQ students or those coming from families with "homosexual or bisexual activity." Clark asked if she would inform Indiana that it could not discriminate in that way if it accepted federal funding and asked her how she would respond in the event a voucher school rejected black students but a state "said it was okay." DeVos answered: "Well again, the Office of Civil Rights and our Title IX protections are broadly applicable across the board, but when it comes to parents making choices on behalf of their students..." Clark stopped her saying, "This isn't about parents making choices, this is about the use of federal dollars. Is there any situation? Would you say to Indiana, that school cannot discriminate against LGBT students if you want to receive federal dollars? Or would you say the state has the flexibility?" DeVos responded: "I believe states should continue to have flexibility in putting together programs ..."[101]

 
DeVos at 2017 National Blue Ribbon Schools Awards Ceremony

CBS reporter Lesley Stahl questioned DeVos, in a March 2018 60 Minutes interview, about the documented failure of the DeVos programs to demonstrate a positive result, in Michigan, her home state: "Your argument that if you take funds away that the schools will get better is not working in Michigan ... where you had a huge impact and influence over the direction of the school system." Stahl added, "The public schools here are doing worse than they did." DeVos was unable to provide any actual examples of improvement, but stated there were "pockets" where schools had done better than public schools.[102]

On June 6, 2017, DeVos said states' rights would determine private schools being allocated funds by the federal government during an appearance before members of a House appropriations committee.[103]

Student loans

On April 11, 2017, DeVos undid several Obama administration policy memos issued by John King Jr. and Ted Mitchell which were designed to protect student loan borrowers.[104]

On July 6, 2017, Democratic attorneys-general in 18 states and Washington, D.C., led by Massachusetts attorney-general Maura Healey, filed a federal lawsuit against DeVos for suspending the implementation of rules that were meant to protect students attending for-profit colleges. The rules, developed during the Obama administration, were meant to take effect on July 1, 2017.[105][106]

On September 12, 2018, DeVos lost the lawsuit brought by 19 states and the District of Columbia, which accused the Department of Education of improperly delaying implementation of regulations protecting student loan borrowers from predatory practices.[107]

Coronavirus pandemic

During the coronavirus pandemic, DeVos directed millions of dollars of coronavirus relief funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act intended for public schools and colleges, to private and religious schools.[108]

DeVos pushed for schools to re-open while coronavirus cases were still surging in large parts of the country. She said that the Trump administration was considering pulling funding from public schools unless they provided full-time in person learning during the pandemic.[109] On July 12, 2020, she said "there's nothing in the data that suggests that kids being in school is in any way dangerous to them", an assertion that public health experts disputed.[109] She also refused to say whether schools should follow guidelines laid out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on reopening schools.[110]

Other

On June 2, 2017, DeVos announced her support of President Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement the prior day.[111]

On July 13, 2017, Candice Jackson, who is a sexual assault survivor, organized a meeting with DeVos, college sexual assault victims, accused assailants, and higher education officials, and said she would look at policies on sexual assault accusations on campuses from the Obama administration to see if accused students were treated within their rights.[112] Asked by CBS 60 Minutes reporter Lesley Stahl about her repeal of Obama administration guidelines for colleges dealing with reports of sexual assaults, she said her concern was for men falsely accused of such assaults. "Survivors, victims of a lack of due process, and campus administrators have all told me that the current approach does a disservice to everyone involved," said DeVos.[113][101] However, some survivors of sexual assault and harassment and organizations which advocate on their behalf oppose the changes and say they would make schools more dangerous.[114][115][116][117]

In October 2017, DeVos revoked 72 guidance documents of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services which outlined the rights of disabled students under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Rehabilitation Act.[118]

In a January 2018 speech, DeVos said that the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) found that "60 percent of its teachers reported having moderate to no influence over the content and skills taught in their own classrooms." In response, AFT noted that in the same survey of around 5,000 educators, 86% felt that DeVos had disrespected them.[119]

In March 2018, DeVos announced a School Safety Commission, to provide meaningful and actionable recommendations. Members were four Cabinet members, including herself.[120] The organization held a meeting on March 28 and a gathering of school shooting survivors and families on April 17.[121]

 
DeVos in Alaska in August 2019

In late May 2018, DeVos said that she believed it was "a school decision" on whether to report a student's family to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) if the student or their family are undocumented immigrants. However, under Plyler v. Doe, the American Supreme Court ruled under the US constitution, schools are obligated to provide schooling irrespective of immigration status. The American Civil Liberties Union has said that because of this, it would be unconstitutional for schools to report students or their families to ICE.[122]

In 2019, DeVos unsuccessfully attempted to cut federal funding for the Special Olympics from her department's budget, which she had also attempted to cut in her previous two annual budgets.[123]

Protests and security

DeVos has been a controversial figure throughout her tenure.[98] In her first official appearance as Secretary on February 10, 2017, dozens of protesters showed up to prevent her appearance. The protesters physically blocked her from entering through the back entrance of Jefferson Academy, a D.C. public middle school in Southwest, Washington, D.C. DeVos was eventually able to enter the school through a side entrance.[124][125][126]

Subsequent to the incident, the U.S. Marshals Service, rather than Education Department employees, began providing security for her. Education Department officials declined requests for information about the deployment of marshals or the current tasks of the Secretary's displaced security team normally assigned to her. Many of those security personnel are former Secret Service agents who have worked at the department for many years. Regarding the withdrawal of the department's team, former Education Secretary Arne Duncan said, "That's a waste of taxpayer money."

During her first visit to a public university on April 6, 2017, DeVos was confronted by around 30 protestors. She was touring an area designed to resemble a hospital ward at Florida International University.[127] The following day, the U.S. Marshals Service said after a threat evaluation was conducted in February that DeVos would be given additional security, projecting a cost of $7.8 million between February and September 2017.[128]

On May 10, 2017, DeVos gave a commencement speech at Bethune–Cookman University, a historically black college, and during her speech a majority of the students booed DeVos, with about half of them standing up and turning their backs to her.[129] She also received an honorary doctorate from the university.[130]

Legal issues

According to DeVos's 2018 financial disclosure form certified by the Office of Government Ethics on December 3, 2018,[131] she had not divested from twenty-four assets required under her signed ethics agreement[132] nearly 22 months after being confirmed in February 2017.[133]

In May 2019, the Education Department inspector general released a report concluding that DeVos had used personal email accounts to conduct government business and that she did not properly preserve these emails.[134]

In September 2020, it was reported that the Office of the Special Counsel had investigated DeVos over potential violations of the Hatch Act after she appeared on Fox News during the 2020 election campaign, where she attacked Democratic Party presidential nominee Joe Biden. After her television appearance, the Department of Education promoted her Fox News interview.[135]

Resignation

On January 7, 2021, DeVos resigned from her position as Secretary of Education after the January 6 U.S. Capitol riots. She said in her letter to President Trump that the riots had overshadowed the accomplishments of his administration.[136][137] She was the second cabinet member to resign following the insurrection, the first being Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao.[138] Hours after her resignation, Senator Elizabeth Warren later called her the worst Secretary of Education on Twitter, saying she never did anything to help students, and saying she would rather quit than invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office.[139]

Philanthropy and activism

The Prince Foundation

DeVos was listed for many years on IRS form Form 990s as the foundation's vice president (hitherto called the Edgar and Elsa Prince Foundation). However, she testified under oath in the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing, in response to Senator Maggie Hassan's questions, that she had nothing to do with the contributions made by her mother's foundation to conservative advocacy groups including Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council.[140]

Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation

The Dick & Betsy DeVos Family Foundation was launched in 1989.[141][142] The foundation's giving, according to its website, is motivated by faith, and "is centered in cultivating leadership, accelerating transformation and leveraging support in five areas", namely education, community, arts, justice, and leadership.[143] In 2015, the DeVos Foundation made $11.6 million in charitable contributions, bringing the couple's lifetime charitable giving to $139 million.[144] Forbes ranked the DeVos family No. 24 on its 2015 list of America's top givers.[145]

The DeVos Foundation has donated to hospitals, health research, arts organizations, Christian schools, evangelical missions, and conservative, free-market think tanks.[146][147][148] Of the $100 million the foundation donated between 1999 until 2014, half of it went to Christian organizations.[146] Organizations funded by the foundation include: Michigan's Foundation for Traditional Values; Center for Individual Rights; Acton Institute; Institute for Justice; Center for Individual Rights; Michigan's Pregnancy Resource Center; Right to Life Michigan Educational Fund; and Baptists for Life.[142][146][147][149][150]

With respect to educational-focused donations, the foundation from 1999 to 2014 supported private Christian schools (at least $8.6 million), charter schools ($5.2 million), and public schools ($59,750).[148] Specific donations included $2.39 million to the Grand Rapids Christian High School Association, $652,000 to the Ada Christian School, and $458,000 to Holland Christian Schools.[146][148]

In 2016, the foundation reported $14.3 million in donations to over 100 organizations including the X Prize Foundation, Mars Hill Bible Church, American Enterprise Institute.[151]

When DeVos was appointed US Education Secretary, it was revealed that she was an elder at Mars Hill Bible Church.[152] During her tenure, she reportedly donated $431,000 to the church between 2002 and 2004 and $453,349 to Flannel, producer of the NOOMA video series.[153][154]

Acton Institute and All Children Matter

DeVos has served as chairperson, board member, and treasurer of the Acton Institute and headed the All Children Matter PAC.[4][146][155]

Arts

Kennedy Center

DeVos was appointed by President George W. Bush to the board of directors of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2004, and served until 2010. While she was on the board, she and her husband funded a center to teach arts managers and boards of directors how to fundraise and manage their cultural institutions.[156][157] The couple donated $22.5 million in 2010 to continue the endeavor, which was given in the name of the DeVos Institute of Arts Management.[156][157]

After the announcement of the DeVoses' gift to the Kennedy Center, DeVos explained that she had been persuaded by Kennedy Center official Michael Kaiser's observation that millions of dollars are invested "in the arts, and training artists", but not in "training the leaders who hire the artists and run the organizations". The DeVoses' gift was intended to remedy this oversight. "We want to help develop human capital and leverage that capital to the greatest extent possible", she said, describing Kaiser's "practice and approach" as "practical, realistic and creative".[157] The DeVoses' gift, part of which would be spent on arts groups in Michigan that had been hit hard by the recession, was the largest private donation in the Kennedy Center's history.[158]

ArtPrize

In 2009, Betsy DeVos's son Rick DeVos founded ArtPrize, an international art competition held in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As of 2016 approximately 16 percent of ArtPrize's $3.5 million annual budget was provided by various foundations run by the DeVos family, with the rest provided by other foundations and local and national businesses.[159][160]

Education activism

Betsy and Dick DeVos provide an annual scholarship to students at Northwood University.[161] DeVos is a former member of the board of the Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd),[162] an education think tank founded by Jeb Bush, the chairman since 2015 of which has been former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and which has received donations from Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg and Eli Broad.[163]

Christian motivation

DeVos in 2001 listed education activism and reform efforts as a means to "advance God's Kingdom".[4][5] In an interview that year, she also said that "changing the way we approach ... the system of education in the country ... really may have greater Kingdom gain in the long run".[4]

School choice

DeVos believes education in the United States should encourage the proliferation of charter schools and open up private schools to more students via financial assistance programs, often called vouchers. She has stated that education is "a closed system, a closed industry, a closed market. It's a monopoly, a dead end."[164] DeVos believes that opening up the education market will offer parents increased choice, a view that critics call a drive to privatize the American public education system.[164]

School vouchers

 
DeVos at CPAC in 2017

DeVos is known as "a fierce proponent of school vouchers" that would allow students to attend private schools with public funding.[165] According to The New York Times, it "is hard to find anyone more passionate about the idea of steering public dollars away from traditional public schools than Betsy DeVos".[62]

DeVos served as chairwoman of the board of Alliance for School Choice.[166] Until November 2016,[167] she headed the All Children Matter PAC which she and her husband founded in 2003 to promote school vouchers, tax credits to businesses that give private school scholarships, and candidates who support these causes.[168] DeVos and her husband gave millions of dollars to the organization. In 2008, All Children Matter was fined $5.2 million in Ohio for illegally laundering money into political campaign funds.[169][170] DeVos was not named in the case.[171] The fine remained unpaid as of 2017, prompting calls by Democratic Party lawmakers for DeVos to settle the debt.[172][173]

Her other activities on behalf of public-school reform have included membership on the boards of directors of the Advocates for School Choice, the American Education Reform Council, and the Education Freedom Fund.[174] She has chaired the boards of Choices for Children, and Great Lakes Education Project (GLEP).[175]

DeVos was chair of the American Federation for Children (AFC).[176] Affiliated with the Alliance for School Choice, the AFC describes itself as "a leading national advocacy organization promoting school choice, with a specific focus on advocating for school vouchers and scholarship tax credit programs".[177]

During the 1990s, she served on the boards of Children First America and the American Education Reform Council, which sought to expand school choice through vouchers and tax credits. She and her husband worked for the successful passage of Michigan's first charter-school bill in 1993,[27] and for the unsuccessful effort in 2000 to amend Michigan's constitution to allow tax-credit scholarships or vouchers. In response to that defeat, DeVos started a PAC, the Great Lakes Education Project, which championed charter schools. DeVos's husband and John Walton then founded All Children Matter, a political organization, which she chaired.[178]

Detroit charter school system

DeVos has been an advocate for the Detroit charter school system. Douglas N. Harris, professor of economics at Tulane University, wrote in a 2016 The New York Times op-ed that DeVos was partly responsible for "what even charter advocates acknowledge is the biggest school reform disaster in the country". In the National Assessment of Educational Progress, Detroit had the lowest reading and mathematics scores "by far" over any city participating in the evaluation. According to Harris, she designed a system with no oversight in which schools that do poorly can continue to enroll students.[179]

Ramesh Ponnuru of National Review argued that Harris overstates the failure of charter schools in Detroit. According to Ponnuru, the study referenced by Harris, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, did "not sound nearly as helpful to Harris's case as he suggests". Ponnuru pointed out that the study says "some 47 percent of charter schools in Detroit significantly outperform[ed] traditional public schools in reading and 49 percent of charters significantly outperforming traditionals on math. Only one percent of charters were significantly outperformed by traditional public schools in reading and only 7 percent on math."[180] Also defending DeVos's record in Michigan, Jay P. Greene, professor of education policy at the University of Arkansas, argued that Harris's The New York Times article misled readers on the evidence and "falsely claimed that Detroit has failed to close failing charter schools", noting that Detroit has closed more charters than Louisiana, a state Harris cites as a model for charter school legislation.[181]

In a written response to a question about charter school performance posed during DeVos's confirmation hearing by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), asking "why do you think their performance is so poor?", DeVos defended the charter school system using graduation rates that were significantly higher than those used for state and federal accountability purposes. DeVos provided examples of several charter schools that she said had 4-year graduation exceeding 90%. These examples were contested by Columbia University professor Aaron Pallas and Education Week reporter Ben Herold on the basis that the actual graduation rates were roughly only half as large as DeVos had stated.[182][183]

 
DeVos and Donald Trump with students in Florida

Cultural depictions

In February 2017, artist Glenn McCoy created a political cartoon called Trying to Trash Betsy DeVos, based on Norman Rockwell's The Problem We All Live With.[184] In the same month, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon parodied the Education Department's typos on Twitter, featuring Jo Firestone as DeVos.[185]

DeVos has been played by Kate McKinnon on Saturday Night Live multiple times, including satirizing DeVos's 60 Minutes interview in March 2018.[186] That same month, Randy Rainbow created a satirical "interview" with DeVos based on the 60 Minutes interview, with Out stating, "It goes about as well as you'd expect it to."[187]

DeVos was depicted by drag queen Scarlet Envy on the March 21, 2019 episode of RuPaul's Drag Race season 11 titled "Trump: The Rusical." Scarlet Envy depicted DeVos as "silly" and "martini-swilling."[188] In the series' fourteenth season, drag queen Jasmine Kennedie appeared as DeVos for the show's signature celebrity impersonation challenge, Snatch Game.

Personal life

 
Dick and Betsy DeVos at the October 10, 2006 gubernatorial debate in Grand Rapids, Michigan

The DeVos family is one of Michigan's wealthiest.[42] Betsy DeVos's husband, Richard Marvin "Dick" DeVos Jr., is a multi-billionaire heir to the Amway fortune who ran Amway's parent company, Alticor, from 1993 to 2002. Dick DeVos is a major donor to conservative political campaigns and social causes,[189][190][191] and was the 2006 Republican nominee for Governor of Michigan.[23][192] Dick's father, Richard Marvin DeVos Sr., co-founded Amway and was the owner of the Orlando Magic NBA basketball team. Richard DeVos was listed by Forbes in 2016 as having a net worth of $5.1 billion, making him America's 88th wealthiest individual.[42]

Dick and Betsy DeVos married in 1979, and have four grown children: Rick, Elissa, Andrea, and Ryan.[26][160] Rick works for the Windquest Group[193] as a consultant on urban development, and is the founder of Grand Rapids' ArtPrize festival.[194][195][196]

Betsy DeVos's brother, Erik Prince, a former U.S. Navy SEAL officer, is the founder of Blackwater USA, a private military services contractor.[23][197][198]

See also

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Further reading

  • Hoffman, Kathy Barks (July 10, 2006). "Faltering Economy Obstacle for Granholm". Fox News. The Associated Press. Retrieved May 23, 2011.
  • Guyette, Curt (February 23, 2000). . Metro Times. Archived from the original on February 6, 2010. Retrieved May 23, 2011.

External links

 
Wikiquote has quotations related to Betsy DeVos.
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Betsy DeVos.
  • Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos
  • Official website
  • Appearances on C-SPAN
Party political offices
Preceded by Chair of the Michigan Republican Party
1996–2000 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chair of the Michigan Republican Party
2003–2005 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by United States Secretary of Education
2017–2021 		Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Former US Cabinet Member Order of precedence of the United States
as Former US Cabinet Member 		Succeeded byas Former US Cabinet Member

February 15, 2024
betsy, devos, elisabeth, devos, voss, née, prince, born, january, 1958, american, politician, philanthropist, former, government, official, served, 11th, united, states, secretary, education, from, 2017, 2021, devos, known, conservative, political, activism, p. Elisabeth Dee DeVos d e ˈ v ɒ s de VOSS nee Prince born January 8 1958 is an American politician philanthropist and former government official who served as the 11th United States secretary of education from 2017 to 2021 DeVos is known for her conservative political activism 1 and particularly her support for school choice school voucher programs and charter schools 2 3 4 5 She was Republican national committeewoman for Michigan from 1992 to 1997 and served as chair of the Michigan Republican Party from 1996 to 2000 and again from 2003 to 2005 She has advocated for the Detroit charter school system 6 7 and she is a former member of the board of the Foundation for Excellence in Education She has served as chair of the board of the Alliance for School Choice and the Acton Institute and headed the All Children Matter PAC 8 Betsy DeVosOfficial portrait 201711th United States Secretary of EducationIn office February 7 2017 January 8 2021PresidentDonald TrumpDeputyMick ZaisPreceded byJohn King Jr Succeeded byMiguel CardonaChair of the Michigan Republican PartyIn office 2003 2005Preceded byGerald HillsSucceeded bySaul AnuzisIn office 1996 2000Preceded bySusy AverySucceeded byGerald HillsPersonal detailsBornElisabeth Dee Prince 1958 01 08 January 8 1958 age 66 Holland Michigan U S Political partyRepublicanSpouseDick DeVos m 1979 wbr Children4ParentEdgar Prince father RelativesErik Prince brother EducationCalvin College BA DeVos is married to former Amway CEO Dick DeVos 9 10 Her brother Erik Prince a former U S Navy SEAL officer is the founder of Blackwater USA 11 12 13 Their father is billionaire industrialist Edgar Prince founder of the Prince Corporation 12 13 14 15 In 2016 the family was listed by Forbes as the 88th richest in America with an estimated net worth of 5 4 billion 16 On November 23 2016 then President elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate DeVos to serve as Secretary of Education in his administration 17 On January 31 following strong opposition to the nomination from Democrats the Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions approved her nomination on a party line vote sending her nomination to the Senate floor 18 On February 7 2017 she was confirmed by the Senate by a 51 50 margin with Vice President Mike Pence breaking the tie in favor of her nomination This was the first time in U S history that a Cabinet nominee s confirmation was decided by the vice president s tiebreaking vote 19 20 21 On January 7 2021 DeVos tendered her resignation as education secretary as a result of the January 6 United States Capitol attack saying to President Trump in her resignation letter There is no mistaking the impact your rhetoric had on the situation 22 Her resignation took effect on January 8 2021 twelve days before her term would have ended with the inauguration of Joe Biden as president Contents 1 Early life 2 Political activity 2 1 Political fundraising 2 1 1 Opposition to limits on political spending 2 2 2016 U S presidential election 3 Business career 3 1 Neurocore 4 U S Secretary of Education 4 1 Nomination 4 1 1 Confirmation hearing 4 1 2 Debate and final vote 4 2 Staffing 4 3 Policy actions 4 3 1 School choice and private schools 4 3 2 Student loans 4 3 3 Coronavirus pandemic 4 3 4 Other 4 4 Protests and security 4 5 Legal issues 4 6 Resignation 5 Philanthropy and activism 5 1 The Prince Foundation 5 2 Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation 5 3 Acton Institute and All Children Matter 5 4 Arts 5 4 1 Kennedy Center 5 4 2 ArtPrize 5 5 Education activism 5 5 1 Christian motivation 5 5 2 School choice 5 5 3 School vouchers 5 5 4 Detroit charter school system 6 Cultural depictions 7 Personal life 8 See also 9 References 10 Further reading 11 External linksEarly lifeDeVos was born Elisabeth Prince on January 8 1958 She grew up in Holland Michigan the eldest of four children born to Elsa Zwiep Prince later Broekhuizen and Edgar Prince a billionaire industrialist 23 24 Edgar was the founder of Prince Corporation an automobile parts supplier based in Holland Michigan 14 23 She is of Dutch ancestry 25 26 DeVos was educated at the Holland Christian High School a private school located in her home town of Holland Michigan 27 She graduated from Calvin College in Grand Rapids Michigan where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business economics in 1979 28 During college DeVos was involved with campus politics volunteered for Gerald Ford s presidential campaign and attended the 1976 Republican National Convention to participate in a program for young Republicans 29 26 DeVos grew up as a member of the Christian Reformed Church in North America 30 She has been a member and elder of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids 31 32 Former Fuller Seminary president Richard Mouw with whom DeVos served on a committee said she is influenced by Dutch neo Calvinist theologian Abraham Kuyper a founding figure in Christian Democracy political ideology 3 Political activity nbsp DeVos far left is present as First Lady Laura Bush far right makes a purchase at Franklin Cider Mill Bush was in Michigan to support DeVos s husband in his gubernatorial campaign Since 1982 DeVos has participated in the Michigan Republican Party She served as a local precinct delegate for the Michigan Republican Party having been elected for 16 consecutive two year terms since 1986 33 She was a Republican National Committeewoman for Michigan between 1992 and 1997 34 and served as chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party from 1996 to 2000 35 36 In 2004 the Lansing State Journal described DeVos as a political pit bull for most of Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm s 16 months in office and said that if DeVos was not Granholm s worst nightmare she was certainly her most persistent Bill Ballenger editor of the newsletter Inside Michigan Politics and a former Republican state senator called DeVos a good behind the scenes organizer and a good fund raiser as well as a true believer in core Republican issues that leave nobody in doubt on where she stands 37 DeVos resigned the position in 2000 She said in 2000 It is clear I have never been a rubber stamp I have been a fighter for the grassroots and following is admittedly not my strong suit 38 In 2003 DeVos ran again for party chairman and was elected to the post without opposition 38 Political fundraising nbsp DeVos in 2005DeVos personally raised more than 150 000 for the 2004 Bush re election campaign 39 and hosted a Republican fundraiser at her home in October 2008 that was headlined by President George W Bush 40 During the Bush administration she spent two years as the finance chairperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee and worked closely with the administration on various projects 41 The DeVos family has been active in Republican politics for decades particularly as donors to candidates and the party giving more than 17 million to political candidates and committees since 1989 42 43 Opposition to limits on political spending Like other members of the DeVos family Betsy strongly opposed government limits on political donations and spending While popular with the American public 44 as a way to prevent perceived unfair domination by the wealthy in politics DeVos and many other conservatives argue it is an infringement on free speech In a 1997 op ed for Roll Call defending unlimited donations of soft money in political spending DeVos compared government limits to Big Brother of George Orwell s Nineteen Eighty Four 1 Betsy was a founding board member of the James Madison Center for Free Speech which the DeVos family funded and whose sole goal was to end all legal restrictions on money in politics 1 She also wrote in Roll Call that she expected results from her political contributions My family is the largest single contributor of soft money to the national Republican Party I have decided to stop taking offense at the suggestion that we are buying influence she wrote Now I simply concede the point They are right 45 26 She also stated in the op ed We expect to foster a conservative governing philosophy consisting of limited government and respect for traditional American virtues We expect a return on our investment we expect a good and honest government Furthermore we expect the Republican Party to use the money to promote these policies and yes to win elections 46 2016 U S presidential election During the Republican Party presidential primaries for the 2016 election DeVos initially donated to Jeb Bush and Carly Fiorina before eventually supporting Marco Rubio In March 2016 DeVos described Donald Trump as an interloper and said that he does not represent the Republican Party 17 Business careerDeVos is chairwoman of the Windquest Group a privately held operating group that invests in technology manufacturing and clean energy DeVos and her husband founded it in 1989 29 With a commitment of 100 million Betsy DeVos s family was one of the largest investors and losers in blood testing company Theranos 47 DeVos and her husband were producers for a Broadway run of the stage play Scandalous The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson in 2012 based on the life of the famous evangelist and featuring a book and lyrics written by Kathie Lee Gifford The show ran for three weeks closing in December 2012 48 after receiving negative reviews 49 50 Neurocore Betsy and her husband Dick are chief investors in and board members of Neurocore a group of brain performance centers offering biofeedback therapy for disorders such as depression attention deficit disorder autism and anxiety 51 52 53 The therapy consists of showing movies to patients and interrupting them when they become distracted in an effort to retrain their brains According to The New York Times a review of Neurocore s claims and interviews with medical experts suggest that the company s conclusions are unproven and its methods questionable 51 Democratic senators raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest and questioned whether she and her family members would benefit financially from actions she could take as the U S Secretary of Education DeVos announced that she would step down from the company s board but would retain her investment in the company valued at 5 million to 25 million 51 54 55 In November 2019 Truth In Advertising filed complaints 56 against Neurocore with the Food and Drug Administration for unapproved medical devices 57 and the Federal Trade Commission for deceptive marketing 58 U S Secretary of EducationNomination On November 23 2016 Trump s transition team announced DeVos as the nominee to be the next secretary of education Upon her nomination DeVos said I am honored to work with the President elect on his vision to make American education great again The status quo in ed is not acceptable 17 DeVos s nomination was generally criticized by teachers unions and praised by supporters of school choice 59 Detroit Free Press editor Stephen Henderson expressed concerns over DeVos s nomination writing that DeVos isn t an educator or an education leader 60 61 Rebecca Mead of The New Yorker questioned the efficacy of Michigan s charter school system which DeVos has supported 27 Randi Weingarten president of the American Federation of Teachers called DeVos the most ideological anti public education nominee since the position became a cabinet position 62 The Michigan chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and the Michigan Democratic Party opposed DeVos s nomination 59 Former presidential candidates Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney respectively called DeVos an outstanding pick and a smart choice 62 63 Republican senator Ben Sasse said DeVos has made a career out of standing up to powerful and connected special interests on behalf of poor kids who are too often forgotten by Washington In an opinion editorial the Chicago Tribune wrote that DeVos has helped lead the national battle to expand education opportunities for children 64 Confirmation hearing External videos nbsp Betsy DeVos Education Secretary Confirmation Hearing full video of hearing from C SPAN January 17 2017 nbsp Betsy DeVos s confirmation hearing in three minutes The Washington Post January 17 2017 nbsp Final Vote in the Senate for Confirmation of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education full video of vote from C SPAN February 2 2017The confirmation hearing for DeVos was initially scheduled for January 10 2017 but was delayed for one week after the Office of Government Ethics requested more time to review her financial disclosures 65 66 On January 17 2017 the Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions held the hearing which lasted three and one half hours and quickly became a heated and partisan debate 67 Democratic senators directed several questions toward her regarding her wealth including questions about her family s political donations to the Republican Party and whether or not she had personal experience with financial aid or student loans 67 Several media outlets reported that DeVos appeared to have plagiarized quotes from an Obama administration official in written answers submitted to the Senate committee 68 69 DeVos drew widespread media attention during the confirmation hearings for suggesting that guns might have a place in some schools due to a threat from grizzly bears 70 71 72 DeVos s comment was later lampooned by television personalities Kate McKinnon on Saturday Night Live Jimmy Kimmel Stephen Colbert and James Corden 73 74 75 Prior to DeVos s confirmation numerous U S senators from both parties reported tens of thousands of their constituents having contacted their offices in opposition to the confirmation of DeVos 76 More than 300 state lawmakers from across the U S overwhelmingly Democrats voiced their opposition to DeVos s appointment in a letter to the U S Senate sent the day before a scheduled vote on her nomination 77 DeVos s nomination was supported by 18 Republican governors including John Kasich and Rick Snyder along with the nine Republican members of Congress from Michigan 78 Debate and final vote source source source source source source source Vice President Mike Pence breaks the 50 50 tie in favor of DeVos confirming her as U S secretary of education On January 31 DeVos s nomination was approved by the committee on a 12 11 party line vote and was due to be voted on by the Senate 18 Later on February 1 2017 two Republican U S senators Susan Collins from Maine and Lisa Murkowski from Alaska came out against the confirmation despite supporting DeVos in committee when both of them voted to move her nomination to the floor 79 bringing the predicted confirmation vote on DeVos to 50 50 if all Democrats and independents voted as expected meaning Vice President Mike Pence would have to break the tie 80 During an unusually early 6 30 a m vote on February 3 2017 cloture was invoked on DeVos s nomination in the Senate requiring a final vote on the confirmation to happen after 30 hours of debate 81 Ahead of the scheduled final vote at noon on February 7 2017 the Democrats in the Senate continuously spoke on the floor against the confirmation of DeVos the entire night before leading up to the vote in protest of their strong disapproval of the nominee 82 As expected there was a 50 50 tie on the final vote with all Democrats and independents along with two Republicans Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voting in opposition to DeVos while the other fifty Republican senators voted in support of the confirmation including Senator Jeff Sessions who himself had been nominated by the Trump administration for the post of United States attorney general Republicans scheduled Sessions s confirmation vote after DeVos s so that he would be able to cast his vote in support of DeVos Had his confirmation vote been earlier than hers he would have been forced to resign from the Senate therefore losing a vital vote for the Republicans on the confirmation 83 84 85 Since there was a tie Vice President Mike Pence had to step in to decide the vote as the president of the Senate 86 He cast his tie breaking vote in favor of DeVos to officially confirm her as education secretary 87 This was the first tie decided by a vice president on any vote in the Senate since the George W Bush administration 88 89 Staffing DeVos said that on the basis of her first few days in the job she had concerns that some Education Department employees were sympathetic to the Obama administration I would not be surprised if there are also those that would try to subvert the mission of this organization and this department she stated Asked what she could do about that she said Whatever can be done will be done and it will be done swiftly and surely 90 In April 2017 DeVos praised the president s nomination of Carlos G Muniz as the department s general counsel 91 In April 2017 DeVos named Candice Jackson Deputy Assistant Secretary in the department s Office for Civil Rights where she will be acting assistant secretary while that higher Senate confirmed appointment is vacant 92 DeVos named Jason Botel Deputy Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education 92 Botel a registered Democrat who supported President Obama and the Black Lives Matter movement founded the KIPP Ujima Village Academy in Baltimore after working for Teach For America 92 In mid May 2018 The New York Times reported that under DeVos the size of the team investigating abuses and fraud by for profit colleges was reduced from about twelve members under the Obama administration to three with their task also being scaled back to processing student loan forgiveness applications and looking at smaller compliance cases DeVos also appointed Julian Schmoke as the team s new supervisor Schmoke was a former dean of DeVry Education Group which was one of the institutions the team had been investigating The investigation into DeVry was not the only one stopped others include those of Bridgepoint Education and Career Education Corporation The Education Department has hired more ex employees and people affiliated with those institutions such as Robert S Eitel senior counselor to DeVos Diane Auer Jones an advisor to the department and Carlos G Muniz the department s general counsel 93 In October 2018 it was announced that DeVos s chief of staff Josh Venable would be replaced by Nate Bailey who at that time was DeVos s chief of communications 94 Two years later Venable joined an anti Trump group the Republican Political Alliance for Integrity and Reform REPAIR which is led by former White House officials 95 Policy actions School choice and private schools In February 2017 DeVos released a statement calling historically black colleges real pioneers when it comes to school choice causing controversy as some pointed out the schools originated after segregation laws prevented African Americans from attending others DeVos later acknowledged racism as an important factor in the history of historically black colleges 96 On March 24 2017 during a visit to the Osceola County campus of Valencia College DeVos said she was considering the extension of federal financial aid for students that were year round and interested in placing more focus on community colleges 97 DeVos delivered her first extended policy address on March 29 2017 at the Brookings Institution which included the topic of school choice which has been her main advocacy issue for more than 30 years 98 She stated an interest in implementing choice policies directed toward children as individuals and criticizing the Obama administration s additional funding of 7 billion for the U S s worst performing schools as throwing money at the problem in an attempt to find a solution 99 On May 22 2017 DeVos announced the Trump administration was offering the most ambitious expansion of school choice within American history DeVos cited Indiana which has the U S s largest school voucher program as a potential model for a nationwide policy but did not give specific proposals 100 In a May 2017 House of Representatives committee hearing Rep Katherine Clark said an Indiana private school which takes publicly funded vouchers maintains it is entitled to deny admission to LGBTQ students or those coming from families with homosexual or bisexual activity Clark asked if she would inform Indiana that it could not discriminate in that way if it accepted federal funding and asked her how she would respond in the event a voucher school rejected black students but a state said it was okay DeVos answered Well again the Office of Civil Rights and our Title IX protections are broadly applicable across the board but when it comes to parents making choices on behalf of their students Clark stopped her saying This isn t about parents making choices this is about the use of federal dollars Is there any situation Would you say to Indiana that school cannot discriminate against LGBT students if you want to receive federal dollars Or would you say the state has the flexibility DeVos responded I believe states should continue to have flexibility in putting together programs 101 nbsp DeVos at 2017 National Blue Ribbon Schools Awards CeremonyCBS reporter Lesley Stahl questioned DeVos in a March 2018 60 Minutes interview about the documented failure of the DeVos programs to demonstrate a positive result in Michigan her home state Your argument that if you take funds away that the schools will get better is not working in Michigan where you had a huge impact and influence over the direction of the school system Stahl added The public schools here are doing worse than they did DeVos was unable to provide any actual examples of improvement but stated there were pockets where schools had done better than public schools 102 On June 6 2017 DeVos said states rights would determine private schools being allocated funds by the federal government during an appearance before members of a House appropriations committee 103 Student loans On April 11 2017 DeVos undid several Obama administration policy memos issued by John King Jr and Ted Mitchell which were designed to protect student loan borrowers 104 On July 6 2017 Democratic attorneys general in 18 states and Washington D C led by Massachusetts attorney general Maura Healey filed a federal lawsuit against DeVos for suspending the implementation of rules that were meant to protect students attending for profit colleges The rules developed during the Obama administration were meant to take effect on July 1 2017 105 106 On September 12 2018 DeVos lost the lawsuit brought by 19 states and the District of Columbia which accused the Department of Education of improperly delaying implementation of regulations protecting student loan borrowers from predatory practices 107 Coronavirus pandemic During the coronavirus pandemic DeVos directed millions of dollars of coronavirus relief funds from the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act intended for public schools and colleges to private and religious schools 108 DeVos pushed for schools to re open while coronavirus cases were still surging in large parts of the country She said that the Trump administration was considering pulling funding from public schools unless they provided full time in person learning during the pandemic 109 On July 12 2020 she said there s nothing in the data that suggests that kids being in school is in any way dangerous to them an assertion that public health experts disputed 109 She also refused to say whether schools should follow guidelines laid out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC on reopening schools 110 Other On June 2 2017 DeVos announced her support of President Trump s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement the prior day 111 On July 13 2017 Candice Jackson who is a sexual assault survivor organized a meeting with DeVos college sexual assault victims accused assailants and higher education officials and said she would look at policies on sexual assault accusations on campuses from the Obama administration to see if accused students were treated within their rights 112 Asked by CBS 60 Minutes reporter Lesley Stahl about her repeal of Obama administration guidelines for colleges dealing with reports of sexual assaults she said her concern was for men falsely accused of such assaults Survivors victims of a lack of due process and campus administrators have all told me that the current approach does a disservice to everyone involved said DeVos 113 101 However some survivors of sexual assault and harassment and organizations which advocate on their behalf oppose the changes and say they would make schools more dangerous 114 115 116 117 In October 2017 DeVos revoked 72 guidance documents of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services which outlined the rights of disabled students under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Rehabilitation Act 118 In a January 2018 speech DeVos said that the American Federation of Teachers AFT found that 60 percent of its teachers reported having moderate to no influence over the content and skills taught in their own classrooms In response AFT noted that in the same survey of around 5 000 educators 86 felt that DeVos had disrespected them 119 In March 2018 DeVos announced a School Safety Commission to provide meaningful and actionable recommendations Members were four Cabinet members including herself 120 The organization held a meeting on March 28 and a gathering of school shooting survivors and families on April 17 121 nbsp DeVos in Alaska in August 2019In late May 2018 DeVos said that she believed it was a school decision on whether to report a student s family to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE if the student or their family are undocumented immigrants However under Plyler v Doe the American Supreme Court ruled under the US constitution schools are obligated to provide schooling irrespective of immigration status The American Civil Liberties Union has said that because of this it would be unconstitutional for schools to report students or their families to ICE 122 In 2019 DeVos unsuccessfully attempted to cut federal funding for the Special Olympics from her department s budget which she had also attempted to cut in her previous two annual budgets 123 Protests and security DeVos has been a controversial figure throughout her tenure 98 In her first official appearance as Secretary on February 10 2017 dozens of protesters showed up to prevent her appearance The protesters physically blocked her from entering through the back entrance of Jefferson Academy a D C public middle school in Southwest Washington D C DeVos was eventually able to enter the school through a side entrance 124 125 126 Subsequent to the incident the U S Marshals Service rather than Education Department employees began providing security for her Education Department officials declined requests for information about the deployment of marshals or the current tasks of the Secretary s displaced security team normally assigned to her Many of those security personnel are former Secret Service agents who have worked at the department for many years Regarding the withdrawal of the department s team former Education Secretary Arne Duncan said That s a waste of taxpayer money During her first visit to a public university on April 6 2017 DeVos was confronted by around 30 protestors She was touring an area designed to resemble a hospital ward at Florida International University 127 The following day the U S Marshals Service said after a threat evaluation was conducted in February that DeVos would be given additional security projecting a cost of 7 8 million between February and September 2017 128 On May 10 2017 DeVos gave a commencement speech at Bethune Cookman University a historically black college and during her speech a majority of the students booed DeVos with about half of them standing up and turning their backs to her 129 She also received an honorary doctorate from the university 130 Legal issues According to DeVos s 2018 financial disclosure form certified by the Office of Government Ethics on December 3 2018 131 she had not divested from twenty four assets required under her signed ethics agreement 132 nearly 22 months after being confirmed in February 2017 133 In May 2019 the Education Department inspector general released a report concluding that DeVos had used personal email accounts to conduct government business and that she did not properly preserve these emails 134 In September 2020 it was reported that the Office of the Special Counsel had investigated DeVos over potential violations of the Hatch Act after she appeared on Fox News during the 2020 election campaign where she attacked Democratic Party presidential nominee Joe Biden After her television appearance the Department of Education promoted her Fox News interview 135 Resignation On January 7 2021 DeVos resigned from her position as Secretary of Education after the January 6 U S Capitol riots She said in her letter to President Trump that the riots had overshadowed the accomplishments of his administration 136 137 She was the second cabinet member to resign following the insurrection the first being Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao 138 Hours after her resignation Senator Elizabeth Warren later called her the worst Secretary of Education on Twitter saying she never did anything to help students and saying she would rather quit than invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office 139 Philanthropy and activismThe Prince Foundation DeVos was listed for many years on IRS form Form 990s as the foundation s vice president hitherto called the Edgar and Elsa Prince Foundation However she testified under oath in the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee hearing in response to Senator Maggie Hassan s questions that she had nothing to do with the contributions made by her mother s foundation to conservative advocacy groups including Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council 140 Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation The Dick amp Betsy DeVos Family Foundation was launched in 1989 141 142 The foundation s giving according to its website is motivated by faith and is centered in cultivating leadership accelerating transformation and leveraging support in five areas namely education community arts justice and leadership 143 In 2015 the DeVos Foundation made 11 6 million in charitable contributions bringing the couple s lifetime charitable giving to 139 million 144 Forbes ranked the DeVos family No 24 on its 2015 list of America s top givers 145 The DeVos Foundation has donated to hospitals health research arts organizations Christian schools evangelical missions and conservative free market think tanks 146 147 148 Of the 100 million the foundation donated between 1999 until 2014 half of it went to Christian organizations 146 Organizations funded by the foundation include Michigan s Foundation for Traditional Values Center for Individual Rights Acton Institute Institute for Justice Center for Individual Rights Michigan s Pregnancy Resource Center Right to Life Michigan Educational Fund and Baptists for Life 142 146 147 149 150 With respect to educational focused donations the foundation from 1999 to 2014 supported private Christian schools at least 8 6 million charter schools 5 2 million and public schools 59 750 148 Specific donations included 2 39 million to the Grand Rapids Christian High School Association 652 000 to the Ada Christian School and 458 000 to Holland Christian Schools 146 148 In 2016 the foundation reported 14 3 million in donations to over 100 organizations including the X Prize Foundation Mars Hill Bible Church American Enterprise Institute 151 When DeVos was appointed US Education Secretary it was revealed that she was an elder at Mars Hill Bible Church 152 During her tenure she reportedly donated 431 000 to the church between 2002 and 2004 and 453 349 to Flannel producer of the NOOMA video series 153 154 Acton Institute and All Children Matter DeVos has served as chairperson board member and treasurer of the Acton Institute and headed the All Children Matter PAC 4 146 155 Arts Kennedy Center DeVos was appointed by President George W Bush to the board of directors of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2004 and served until 2010 While she was on the board she and her husband funded a center to teach arts managers and boards of directors how to fundraise and manage their cultural institutions 156 157 The couple donated 22 5 million in 2010 to continue the endeavor which was given in the name of the DeVos Institute of Arts Management 156 157 After the announcement of the DeVoses gift to the Kennedy Center DeVos explained that she had been persuaded by Kennedy Center official Michael Kaiser s observation that millions of dollars are invested in the arts and training artists but not in training the leaders who hire the artists and run the organizations The DeVoses gift was intended to remedy this oversight We want to help develop human capital and leverage that capital to the greatest extent possible she said describing Kaiser s practice and approach as practical realistic and creative 157 The DeVoses gift part of which would be spent on arts groups in Michigan that had been hit hard by the recession was the largest private donation in the Kennedy Center s history 158 ArtPrize In 2009 Betsy DeVos s son Rick DeVos founded ArtPrize an international art competition held in Grand Rapids Michigan As of 2016 update approximately 16 percent of ArtPrize s 3 5 million annual budget was provided by various foundations run by the DeVos family with the rest provided by other foundations and local and national businesses 159 160 Education activism Betsy and Dick DeVos provide an annual scholarship to students at Northwood University 161 DeVos is a former member of the board of the Foundation for Excellence in Education ExcelinEd 162 an education think tank founded by Jeb Bush the chairman since 2015 of which has been former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and which has received donations from Bill Gates Michael Bloomberg and Eli Broad 163 Christian motivation DeVos in 2001 listed education activism and reform efforts as a means to advance God s Kingdom 4 5 In an interview that year she also said that changing the way we approach the system of education in the country really may have greater Kingdom gain in the long run 4 School choice DeVos believes education in the United States should encourage the proliferation of charter schools and open up private schools to more students via financial assistance programs often called vouchers She has stated that education is a closed system a closed industry a closed market It s a monopoly a dead end 164 DeVos believes that opening up the education market will offer parents increased choice a view that critics call a drive to privatize the American public education system 164 School vouchers nbsp DeVos at CPAC in 2017DeVos is known as a fierce proponent of school vouchers that would allow students to attend private schools with public funding 165 According to The New York Times it is hard to find anyone more passionate about the idea of steering public dollars away from traditional public schools than Betsy DeVos 62 DeVos served as chairwoman of the board of Alliance for School Choice 166 Until November 2016 167 she headed the All Children Matter PAC which she and her husband founded in 2003 to promote school vouchers tax credits to businesses that give private school scholarships and candidates who support these causes 168 DeVos and her husband gave millions of dollars to the organization In 2008 All Children Matter was fined 5 2 million in Ohio for illegally laundering money into political campaign funds 169 170 DeVos was not named in the case 171 The fine remained unpaid as of 2017 update prompting calls by Democratic Party lawmakers for DeVos to settle the debt 172 173 Her other activities on behalf of public school reform have included membership on the boards of directors of the Advocates for School Choice the American Education Reform Council and the Education Freedom Fund 174 She has chaired the boards of Choices for Children and Great Lakes Education Project GLEP 175 DeVos was chair of the American Federation for Children AFC 176 Affiliated with the Alliance for School Choice the AFC describes itself as a leading national advocacy organization promoting school choice with a specific focus on advocating for school vouchers and scholarship tax credit programs 177 During the 1990s she served on the boards of Children First America and the American Education Reform Council which sought to expand school choice through vouchers and tax credits She and her husband worked for the successful passage of Michigan s first charter school bill in 1993 27 and for the unsuccessful effort in 2000 to amend Michigan s constitution to allow tax credit scholarships or vouchers In response to that defeat DeVos started a PAC the Great Lakes Education Project which championed charter schools DeVos s husband and John Walton then founded All Children Matter a political organization which she chaired 178 Detroit charter school system DeVos has been an advocate for the Detroit charter school system Douglas N Harris professor of economics at Tulane University wrote in a 2016 The New York Times op ed that DeVos was partly responsible for what even charter advocates acknowledge is the biggest school reform disaster in the country In the National Assessment of Educational Progress Detroit had the lowest reading and mathematics scores by far over any city participating in the evaluation According to Harris she designed a system with no oversight in which schools that do poorly can continue to enroll students 179 Ramesh Ponnuru of National Review argued that Harris overstates the failure of charter schools in Detroit According to Ponnuru the study referenced by Harris the National Assessment of Educational Progress did not sound nearly as helpful to Harris s case as he suggests Ponnuru pointed out that the study says some 47 percent of charter schools in Detroit significantly outperform ed traditional public schools in reading and 49 percent of charters significantly outperforming traditionals on math Only one percent of charters were significantly outperformed by traditional public schools in reading and only 7 percent on math 180 Also defending DeVos s record in Michigan Jay P Greene professor of education policy at the University of Arkansas argued that Harris s The New York Times article misled readers on the evidence and falsely claimed that Detroit has failed to close failing charter schools noting that Detroit has closed more charters than Louisiana a state Harris cites as a model for charter school legislation 181 In a written response to a question about charter school performance posed during DeVos s confirmation hearing by Senator Patty Murray D WA asking why do you think their performance is so poor DeVos defended the charter school system using graduation rates that were significantly higher than those used for state and federal accountability purposes DeVos provided examples of several charter schools that she said had 4 year graduation exceeding 90 These examples were contested by Columbia University professor Aaron Pallas and Education Week reporter Ben Herold on the basis that the actual graduation rates were roughly only half as large as DeVos had stated 182 183 nbsp DeVos and Donald Trump with students in FloridaCultural depictionsIn February 2017 artist Glenn McCoy created a political cartoon called Trying to Trash Betsy DeVos based on Norman Rockwell s The Problem We All Live With 184 In the same month The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon parodied the Education Department s typos on Twitter featuring Jo Firestone as DeVos 185 DeVos has been played by Kate McKinnon on Saturday Night Live multiple times including satirizing DeVos s 60 Minutes interview in March 2018 186 That same month Randy Rainbow created a satirical interview with DeVos based on the 60 Minutes interview with Out stating It goes about as well as you d expect it to 187 DeVos was depicted by drag queen Scarlet Envy on the March 21 2019 episode of RuPaul s Drag Race season 11 titled Trump The Rusical Scarlet Envy depicted DeVos as silly and martini swilling 188 In the series fourteenth season drag queen Jasmine Kennedie appeared as DeVos for the show s signature celebrity impersonation challenge Snatch Game Personal life nbsp Dick and Betsy DeVos at the October 10 2006 gubernatorial debate in Grand Rapids MichiganThe DeVos family is one of Michigan s wealthiest 42 Betsy DeVos s husband Richard Marvin Dick DeVos Jr is a multi billionaire heir to the Amway fortune who ran Amway s parent company Alticor from 1993 to 2002 Dick DeVos is a major donor to conservative political campaigns and social causes 189 190 191 and was the 2006 Republican nominee for Governor of Michigan 23 192 Dick s father Richard Marvin DeVos Sr co founded Amway and was the owner of the Orlando Magic NBA basketball team Richard DeVos was listed by Forbes in 2016 as having a net worth of 5 1 billion making him America s 88th wealthiest individual 42 Dick and Betsy DeVos married in 1979 and have four grown children Rick Elissa Andrea and Ryan 26 160 Rick works for the Windquest Group 193 as a consultant on urban development and is the founder of Grand Rapids ArtPrize festival 194 195 196 Betsy DeVos s brother Erik Prince a former U S Navy SEAL officer is the founder of Blackwater USA a private military services contractor 23 197 198 See alsoList of female United States Cabinet membersReferences a b c Mayer Jane 2016 Dark Money The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right Doubleday pp 232 236 Miller Emily McFarlan February 7 2017 Betsy DeVos 5 faith facts to know about the Education secretary USA Today Retrieved February 11 2017 DeVos grew up in the Christian Reformed Church and graduated from schools affiliated with the tradition Holland Christian Schools in Holland Mich and Calvin College in Grand Rapids Mich a b Pulliam Bailey Sarah November 23 2016 Betsy DeVos Trump s education pick is a billionaire with deep ties to the Christian Reformed community The Washington Post Retrieved November 24 2016 a b c d Wermund Benjamin December 2 2016 Trump s education pick says reform can advance God s Kingdom Politico Retrieved February 2 2017 a b Stewart Katherine December 13 2016 Betsy DeVos and God s Plan for Schools The New York Times Retrieved December 14 2016 Ponnuru Ramesh November 28 2016 DeVos and Detroit s Charter Schools National Review Retrieved January 18 2017 Zernike Kate June 28 2016 A Sea of Charter Schools in Detroit Leaves Students Adrift The New York Times Retrieved January 18 2017 Trump s education secretary pick led group that owes millions in election fines POLITICO Retrieved January 23 2018 Peterson Withorn Chase November 23 2016 Trump Picks Betsy DeVos Daughter in Law of Billionaire Amway Cofounder for Education Secretary Forbes Retrieved December 20 2016 How Betsy DeVos Could Fix America s Broken Education System The New Hampshire Review January 22 2017 Retrieved January 25 2017 Scahill Jeremy 2008 Blackwater The Rise of the World s Most Powerful Mercenary Arm Nation Books ASIN B0097CYTYA Prince Erik 2014 Civilian Warriors The Inside Story of Blackwater and the Unsung Heroes of the War on Terror Portfolio ISBN 978 1 59184 745 8 a b Investor pleads guilty in philanthropist fraud case March 16 2016 Associated Press in Fox News retrieved September 4 2021 a b I m Tired of America Wasting Our Blood and Treasure The Strange Ascent of Betsy DeVos and Erik Prince October 2018 Vanity Fair retrieved September 4 2021 a b Edgar D Prince New Netherland Institute Benjamin Wermund and Kimberly Hefling November 25 2016 Trump s education secretary pick supported anti gay causes Politico Retrieved December 14 2016 2016 Forbes 400 Forbes Retrieved April 13 2017 a b c Brown Emma November 23 2016 Trump picks billionaire Betsy DeVos school voucher advocate as education secretary The Washington Post Retrieved December 2 2016 a b Hagen Lisa January 31 2017 Senate committee approves DeVos nomination The Hill Retrieved January 31 2017 The Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions HELP on Tuesday morning approved Betsy DeVos s nomination to lead the Department of Education DeVos was confirmed 12 11 along party lines Hutterman Emmarie February 7 2017 Betsy DeVos Confirmed as Education Secretary Pence Breaks Tie The New York Times Retrieved February 7 2017 Elving Ron February 7 2017 Pence Becomes First VP to Break Senate Tie over Cabinet Nomination NPR Washington D C Archived from the original on February 7 2017 Retrieved February 7 2017 Huetteman Emmarie February 7 2017 Mike Pence s Vote on a Cabinet Nominee Would Be Historic The New York Times New York Retrieved February 7 2017 Andrews Natalie Leary Alex January 7 2021 Schumer Pelosi Call for Trump s Removal After Capitol Riot The Wall Street Journal Retrieved January 8 2021 a b c d Scahill Jeremy 2007 Blackwater The Rise of the World s Most Powerful Mercenary Army New York NY Perseus Books Nation Books pp 2 8 Shandra Martinez September 8 2010 Amway heir Dick and Betsy DeVos move into sprawling 22 000 square foot mansion The Grand Rapids Press MLive com Retrieved May 23 2011 Edgar D Prince www newnetherlandinstitute org Retrieved February 20 2017 a b c d Stanton Zack January 15 2017 How Betsy DeVos Used God and Amway to Take Over Michigan Politics Politico Retrieved September 12 2018 a b c Mead Rebecca December 14 2016 Betsy DeVos and the Plan to Break Public Schools The New Yorker Retrieved January 5 2017 Toppo Greg February 7 2017 What you need to know about Betsy DeVos USA Today Retrieved July 27 2017 a b Interview with Betsy DeVos the Reformer print and online Philanthropy Washington D C Philanthropy Roundtable Spring 2013 Retrieved July 8 2013 Boston Rob September 2010 Michigan Multi Millionaire Betsy DeVos Is A Four Star General in a Deceptive Behind The Scenes War on Public Schools And Church State Separation Church amp State Archived from the original on November 25 2016 Retrieved November 24 2016 Sanneh Kalefa November 19 2012 The Hell Raiser The New Yorker Retrieved January 10 2017 Kaplan Sommer Allison December 14 2016 Onward Christian Cabinet Trump s White House Picks Are a Christmas Gift for the Religious Right Haaretz Retrieved January 10 2017 U S Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions Statement for Completion by Executive Branch Nominees Politico Retrieved February 20 2017 Gordon Neil Profiles Organizational Donor Elizabeth DeVos Archived August 22 2011 at the Wayback Machine PublicIntegrity org The Center For Public Integrity May 26 2005 Affirmative action initiative poses problems for politicians The State News East Lansing Michigan August 23 2003 Retrieved May 23 2011 Steve Benen September 2000 Voters in California And Michigan Face Referenda on Voucher Aid To Religious Schools Church amp State Americans United for Separation of Church and State Archived from the original on May 26 2011 Retrieved May 23 2011 Andrews Chris April 24 2004 Leading the Charge Lansing State Journal p 1A a b Medema Kate February 7 2003 DeVos starts fresh familiar position Chimes Grand Rapids Michigan Calvin College 97 16 Archived from the original on May 7 2004 Retrieved July 9 2013 Michigan Gubernatorial Candidate Urges Bush to Meet With Big Three Automakers FoxNews com The Associated Press August 24 2006 Archived from the original on April 20 2007 Retrieved May 23 2011 Chris Christoff October 15 2008 Bush attends fund raiser in Grand Rapids The Detroit Free Press Archived from the original on October 18 2008 Retrieved May 23 2011 Standing for Change TheGathering com Tyler Texas The Gathering Archived from the original on July 30 2013 Retrieved July 9 2013 a b c Mark Tower December 17 2016 DeVos family political giving nears 10 million prior to 2016 election MLive Media Group Retrieved January 4 2017 David Smith November 23 2016 Betsy DeVos billionaire philanthropist picked as Trump education secretary The Guardian retrieved January 4 2017 JONES BRADLEY May 8 2018 Most Americans want to limit campaign spending say big donors have greater political influence Pew Research Center Retrieved October 27 2022 Deruy Emily January 17 2017 What Betsy DeVos Did and Didn t Reveal About Her Education Priorities The Atlantic Retrieved January 28 2017 Cathcart Corrine November 23 2016 Betsy DeVos Everything You Need to Know ABC News Retrieved January 28 2017 Betsy DeVos Lost More on Theranos than the Average American Will Make in 100 Lifetimes Vanity Fair May 4 2018 Retrieved September 2 2018 Perhaps the most notable individual on the list is Education Secretary Betsy DeVos whose family invested 100 million literally 100 times the lifetime earnings of the average American in Theranos between 2013 and 2015 DeVos had previously disclosed that she was a Theranos investor though the size of her investment was not known Scandalous The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson Broadway Neil Simon Theatre Tickets and Discounts Playbill Retrieved January 4 2017 Suskin Steven November 16 2012 Review Scandalous Variety Retrieved February 8 2017 Isherwood Charles November 15 2012 Scandalous The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved February 8 2017 a b c Fink Sheri January 30 2017 Betsy DeVos Invests in a Therapy Under Scrutiny The New York Times Retrieved February 1 2017 Brown Emma January 24 2017 Grade Point Betsy DeVos s ethics review raises further questions for Democrats and watchdogs The Washington Post Retrieved February 1 2017 Zeliadat Nicholette February 1 2017 Pick for U S education secretary rankles autism community Spectrum Retrieved February 1 2017 Goldstein Matthew January 20 2017 Betsy DeVos Won t Shed Stake in Biofeedback Company Filings Show The New York Times Retrieved February 1 2017 Brown Emma January 23 2017 Democrats request another hearing for DeVos Trump s education pick before confirmation vote The Washington Post Retrieved February 1 2017 TINA ORG FILES COMPLAINT AGAINST BRAIN TRAINING COMPANY NEUROCORE tina org Truth in Advertising November 12 2019 Archived from the original on May 24 2020 Retrieved May 23 2020 TINA org is not the first to challenge Neurocore s unsubstantiated health claims In 2017 the National Advertising Division recommended that Neurocore discontinue several disease treatment claims after it found evidence proffered by the company in support of the claims insufficiently reliable to substantiate them Laura Smith Esq Bonnie Patten Esq November 12 2019 Neurocore LLC s Unapproved Medical Device PDF tina org Truth in Advertising Archived PDF from the original on May 24 2020 Retrieved May 23 2020 We write to file a complaint with the U S Food and Drug Administration against Michigan based brain training company Neurocore LLC1 for its marketing use and sale of unapproved medical devices Laura Smith Esq Bonnie Patten Esq November 12 2019 Neurocore LLC s Use of Unsubstantiated Medical Treatment Claims PDF tina org Truth in Advertising Archived PDF from the original on May 24 2020 Retrieved May 23 2020 Neurocore s deceptive marketing is used to attract vulnerable consumers many of whom struggle with difficult psychiatric disorders are caring for children who struggle with such disorders or are seniors dealing with age related memory loss to its Brain Performance Centers The consumer harm associated with deceiving these susceptible populations is of great concern and must be stopped a b Mark genera November 25 2016 Meet Betsy DeVos the polarizing charter school advocate Trump has tapped as education secretary Business Insider Retrieved January 5 2017 Why is Betsy DeVos Trump s pick for education secretary so unpopular BBC News February 5 2017 Retrieved February 6 2017 Henderson Stephen December 3 2016 Betsy DeVos and the twilight of public education Detroit Free Press Retrieved February 6 2017 a b c Zernike Kate November 23 2016 Betsy DeVos Trump s Education Pick Has Steered Money From Public Schools The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved November 28 2016 Romney Mitt January 9 2017 Mitt Romney op ed Betsy DeVos a smart choice for education secretary The Washington Post Retrieved February 6 2017 Editorial The case for Betsy DeVos Chicago Tribune December 1 2016 Retrieved January 5 2017 Revesz Rachael January 10 2017 Betsy DeVos senate confirmation delayed amid concerns over her political donations The Independent Retrieved January 20 2017 Betsy DeVos Trump s pick for education secretary open to defunding public schools NBC News January 17 2017 Retrieved January 18 2017 a b Zernike Kate Alcindor Yamiche January 18 2017 Betsy DeVos s Education Hearing Erupts into Partisan Debate The New York Times Retrieved January 27 2017 DeVos May Have Used Official s Remarks Without Attribution Reuters Associated Press January 31 2017 Merica Dan Scott Eugene January 31 2017 Betsy DeVos appears to have plagiarized quotes for Senate questionnaire CNN Retrieved February 6 2017 Senate confirms Betsy DeVos as Education secretary as Pence breaks 50 50 tie San Diego Union Tribune February 7 2017 Archived from the original on February 24 2021 Retrieved February 7 2017 Wong Alia February 7 2017 Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Has Already Affected Public Education The Atlantic Retrieved February 7 2017 Betsy DeVos squeaks through as Education secretary after Pence casts first ever tie breaking vote Los Angeles Times February 7 2017 Retrieved February 7 2017 Blistein Jon January 19 2017 Watch Colbert Kimmel Corden Mock Betsy DeVos Grizzly Bear Fears Rolling Stone Retrieved February 6 2017 Barrett Malachi February 5 2017 Saturday Night Live jabs Betsy DeVos in Sean Spicer skit MLive Retrieved February 6 2017 Brown Emma January 19 2017 With lightning speed Betsy DeVos became a target of late night comics The Washington Post Retrieved February 6 2017 Wheeler Lydia Shelbourne Mallory January 26 2017 Anti Devos calls jam Senate phone lines The Hill Retrieved January 27 2017 Brown Emma January 30 2017 Progressives launch last minute push against Betsy DeVos and conservatives counter with online ad campaign The Washington Post Retrieved January 30 2017 Nann Burke Melissa January 30 2017 Vote on DeVos looms as Democrats raise more concerns The Detroit News Retrieved January 30 2017 Burke Melissa Nann Senate panel OKs DeVos despite 2 GOP senators concerns The Detroit News Retrieved February 9 2017 Carney Jordain February 2017 Two GOP senators to vote no on Betsy DeVos The Hill Retrieved February 1 2017 Carney Jordain February 3 2017 Senate advances DeVos s nomination setting her up for final vote The Hill Retrieved February 3 2017 Carney Jordain February 6 2017 Democrats plan all night protest ahead of DeVos vote The Hill Retrieved February 7 2017 Resmovits Joy February 7 2017 Betsy DeVos squeaks through as Education secretary after Pence casts first ever tie breaking vote Los Angeles Times Retrieved February 7 2017 Revesz Rachael Betsy DeVos confirmed Trump education pick stumbles over finishing line after Mike Pence casts tie breaking vote The Independent Retrieved February 7 2017 Schleifer Theodore February 2 2017 Republicans need Jeff Sessions to stay in the Senate just a little longer CNN Retrieved February 7 2017 Cowan Richard February 7 2017 Vice President Mike Pence breaks Senate tie to confirm Betsy DeVos as US education secretary Reuters Retrieved February 7 2017 HUETTEMAN EMMARIE February 7 2017 Betsy DeVos Confirmed as Education Secretary Pence Breaks Tie The New York Times Retrieved February 7 2017 DeVos Confirmed as Education Secretary Pence Casts Historic Tie Breaking Vote Fox News February 7 2017 Retrieved February 8 2017 Michael Strafford Caitlin Emma Kimberly Heffling February 7 2017 Senate confirms DeVos as secretary of education Politico Retrieved February 8 2017 Betsy DeVos being guarded by U S Marshals Service The Washington Post Danielle Douglas Gabriel amp Emma Brown February 17 2017 Retrieved August 19 2018 Green Erica L April 5 2017 2 Education Dept Picks Raise Fears on Civil Rights Enforcement The New York Times p A11 Retrieved July 14 2017 a b c Green Erica L June 3 2017 Some Hires by Betsy DeVos Are a Stark Departure From Her Reputation The New York Times p A12 Retrieved July 14 2017 Ivory Danielle Green Erica Eder Steve May 13 2018 Education Department Unwinds Unit Investigating Fraud at For Profits The New York Times Retrieved May 29 2018 Klein Alyson October 26 2018 Betsy DeVos Gets a New Chief of Staff Education Week Retrieved September 18 2020 Russo Carla Herreria September 17 2020 Betsy DeVos s Former Chief Of Staff Joins Anti Trump Group HuffPost Retrieved September 18 2020 Wermund Benjamin February 28 2017 DeVos sparks controversy with comments on black colleges CNN Retrieved February 28 2017 Russon Gabrielle March 24 2017 Education Secretary Betsy Devos tours Valencia campus in Osceola Orlando Sentinel Archived from the original on March 24 2017 Retrieved March 24 2017 a b Binkley Collin May 6 2019 Polarizing but enduring Cabinet member Education head DeVos AP NEWS Retrieved May 7 2019 Green Erica L March 29 2017 Betsy DeVos Calls for More School Choice Saying Money Isn t the Answer The New York Times Danilova Maria May 22 2017 Betsy DeVos pushes school choice in speech to advocacy group gives no specifics Denver Post a b Analysis 9 controversial and highly revealing things Betsy DeVos has said Chicago Tribune Valerie Strauss March 12 Retrieved March 13 2018 Why it was so easy for 60 Minutes to rebut Betsy DeVos s charter school arguments The Washington Post Philip Bump March 12 Retrieved March 13 2018 Wheeler Lydia June 6 2017 DeVos All schools that receive federal funds must follow federal law The Hill Gabriel Danielle Douglas April 11 2017 Betsy DeVos undoes Obama s student loan protections Chicago Tribune Cowley Stacy July 6 2017 18 States Sue Betsy DeVos Over Student Loan Protections The New York Times Retrieved July 18 2017 Eighteen states sue Betsy DeVos for suspending rules on for profit colleges The Guardian Associated Press July 6 2017 Retrieved July 6 2017 Betsy DeVos Loses Student Loan Lawsuit Brought by 19 States Time Retrieved September 15 2018 Green Erica L May 15 2020 DeVos Funnels Coronavirus Relief Funds to Favored Private and Religious Schools The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on July 17 2020 Retrieved July 14 2020 a b DeVos downplays risks of return to schools Chicago Sun Times Associated Press July 12 2020 Archived from the original on July 12 2020 Retrieved July 12 2020 Cole Devan July 12 2020 Betsy DeVos won t say if schools should listen to CDC guidelines on reopening CNN Archived from the original on July 22 2020 Retrieved July 12 2020 Hensch Mark June 2 2017 DeVos Certainly the climate changes The Hill Green Erica L Stolberg Sheryl Gay July 13 2017 Campus Rape Policies Get a New Look as the Accused Get DeVos s Ear The New York Times p A1 Retrieved July 14 2017 Education Secretary Betsy DeVos stumbles during pointed 60 Minutes interview The Washington Post Valerie Strauss March 12 Retrieved March 13 2018 Ortiz Eric November 16 2018 DeVos proposals for campus sex misconduct rules are worse than we thought victims advocates say NBC News Retrieved February 11 2019 Marcotte Amanda November 16 2018 Betsy DeVos moves to demolish Title IX silence sexual abuse victims Salon Retrieved February 11 2019 Tang Elizabeth November 16 2018 Three Reasons Why Betsy DeVos s Proposed Title IX Rules Would Hurt Survivors National Women s Law Center Retrieved February 12 2019 Smith Tovia January 30 2019 Trump Administration Gets An Earful On New Campus Sexual Assault Rules National Public Radio Retrieved February 11 2019 Moriah Balingit DeVos rescinds 72 guidance documents outlining rights for disabled students The Washington Post October 21 2017 Chapman Matthew January 17 2018 Betsy DeVos accidentally promotes study showing teachers feel disrespected by her Shareblue Media Retrieved January 18 2018 Secretary DeVos Forms School Safety Commission U S Department of Education www ed gov Retrieved May 19 2018 Education Secretary Betsy DeVos says school safety commission will issue best practices by year s end NBC News Retrieved May 24 2018 Balingit Moriah Astounding ignorance of the law Civil rights groups slam DeVos for saying schools can report undocumented students The Washington Post Retrieved May 29 2018 Chris Cillizza March 28 2019 Betsy DeVos utterly botched call for Special Olympics funding cuts explained CNN Brown Emma February 10 2017 Protesters briefly block Education Secretary Betsy DeVos s visit to a D C school The Washington Post Retrieved February 10 2017 Firozi Paulina February 10 2017 Protesters block DeVos from entering DC school The Hill Retrieved February 10 2017 Stratford Michael February 10 2017 Protesters block DeVos from entering D C middle school Politico Retrieved February 10 2017 Svrluga Susan April 6 2017 In Miami DeVos visits first public university since becoming education secretary faces protesters The Washington Post Additional Security for DeVos May Cost Up to 7 8 Million Business Insider April 7 2017 Susan Svrluga May 10 2017 Students boo Betsy DeVos as commencement speaker at historically black university The Washington Post McLaughlin Elliot Valencia Nick Couwels John May 10 2017 Bethune Cookman grads boo Betsy DeVos at commencement CNN Retrieved June 27 2021 DEVOS ELISABETH P September 18 2018 Public Financial Disclosure Report OGE Form 278e PDF amazonaws com Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington Archived PDF from the original on December 25 2019 Retrieved June 10 2020 DeVos Elisabeth January 19 2017 Dear Ms Goodridge Keiller PDF oge gov Office of Government Ethics Archived PDF from the original on May 11 2020 Retrieved June 10 2020 Within 90 days of my confirmation I will divest my interests in the entities listed in Attachment A With regard to each of these entities I will not participate personally and substantially in any particular matter that to my knowledge has a direct and predictable effect on the financial interests of the entity until I have divested it unless I first obtain a written waiver pursuant to 18 U S C 208 b l or qualify for a regulatory exemption pursuant to 18 U S C 208 b 2 Lerner Meredith December 3 2018 Betsy DeVos Financial Disclosure Fails to Account for Divestiture of 24 Assets Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington Archived from the original on May 13 2020 Retrieved June 10 2020 DeVos used personal emails for work in limited cases report finds NBC News May 20 2019 Retrieved May 23 2019 DeVos under investigation for potentially violating Hatch Act because of Fox News interview POLITICO September 21 2020 Retrieved October 5 2020 Mitchell Natalie Andrews Alex Leary and Josh January 8 2021 Schumer Pelosi Call for Trump s Removal After Capitol Riot The Wall Street Journal ISSN 0099 9660 Retrieved January 8 2021 a href Template Cite news html title Template Cite news cite news a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Betsy Devos BetsyDeVosED January 6 2021 https pbs twimg com media ErFh1xdXMAA0r1 format png amp name medium Tweet via Twitter Choi Joseph January 7 2020 Betsy DeVos resigns as Education Secretary The Hill Retrieved January 7 2020 Senator Warren Says that Betsy DeVos Resigned to Dodge the 25th Amendment IBL News January 9 2021 Retrieved January 9 2021 Trump Education nominee Betsy DeVos lied to the Senate The Intercept Jeremy Scahill January 18 2017 Retrieved February 7 2017 About Grand Rapids Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation Retrieved July 5 2013 a b Docksai Rick March 1 2016 School Choice But Much More Making Sense of DeVos Family Philanthropy Inside Philanthropy Retrieved February 4 2017 What We Do Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Archived from the original on October 14 2016 Retrieved July 5 2013 Martinez Shandra January 9 2017 Dick and Betsy DeVos lift the veil on their 139M in philanthropy MLive Retrieved January 19 2017 Savchuk Katia 2015 America s Top 50 Givers Meet the philanthropists who gave away the most money in 2015 Forbes Retrieved January 19 2017 a b c d e Rizga Kristina January 17 2017 Betsy Devos wants to use America s schools to build God s kingdom Mother Jones Retrieved February 4 2017 a b Guyette Curt October 4 2006 You don t know Dick Detroit Metro Times Retrieved February 4 2017 a b c Smith Samuel January 18 2017 Trump s Education Pick Betsy DeVos Criticized for Donating Millions to Christian Organizations The Christian Post Retrieved February 4 2017 Klein Rebecca January 24 2017 Speaker at Group Supported By Betsy DeVos Says Hitler Was Good at Reaching Children Huffington Post Retrieved February 4 2017 Michaelson Jay January 17 2017 Betsy DeVos Trump s Education Pick Could Make Life Hell for LGBT Youth Daily Beast Retrieved February 4 2017 Green Erica L December 23 2017 The DeVos Nice List The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved December 26 2017 Bailey Sarah Pulliam November 23 2016 Betsy DeVos Trump s education pick is a billionaire with deep ties to the Christian Reformed community The Washington Post Retrieved March 2 2018 Betsy DeVos Friend of the Family and Faith Based Education TheHumanist com January 19 2017 Retrieved March 2 2018 Unpacking Rob Bell s DeVos Connection www onfaith co Archived from the original on March 2 2018 Retrieved March 2 2018 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint unfit URL link Horowitz Satlin Alana November 24 2016 Group Funded by Trump s Education Secretary Pick Bring Back Child Labor Huffington Post Retrieved February 4 2017 a b Kaczmarczyk Jeffrey May 3 2010 Dick and Betsy DeVos donate 22 5 million to Kennedy Center training program in Washington The Grand Rapids Press MLive Media Group Retrieved May 23 2011 a b c Trescott Jacqueline May 4 2010 Kennedy Center gets 22 5 million gift from DeVos family The Washington Post Zongker Brett May 4 2010 Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Gets 22 5M Gift from DeVos Family Art Daily Associated Press Retrieved July 8 2013 Friess Steve September 27 2017 How a Quirky Art Prize Tied to the DeVos Family Went Political The New York Times Retrieved September 27 2017 a b Marx Linda Betsy DeVos I did not want a place in Florida but we fell in love with Windsor Vero Beach 32963 Retrieved July 9 2013 Six Future Northwood University Students Receive the Betsy and Dick DeVos Scholarship for Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Northwood University April 22 2015 Archived from the original on September 5 2015 Retrieved April 22 2015 Board of Directors Foundation for Excellence in Education Archived from the original on September 27 2013 Retrieved July 10 2013 Mission and History Foundation for Excellence in Education Retrieved July 10 2013 a b Valerie Strauss December 21 2016 To Trump s education pick the U S public school system is a dead end The Washington Post retrieved January 5 2017 Meet Betsy DeVos the polarizing charter school advocate Trump has tapped as education secretary Business Insider Retrieved November 28 2016 About Us Board of Directors Washington D C Alliance for School Choice Archived from the original on February 1 2011 Retrieved May 23 2011 DeVos Elisabeth P PDF United States Office of Government Ethics Archived from the original PDF on January 27 2017 Retrieved February 3 2017 Local News Briefs Lansing State Journal April 5 2008 p B1 Archived from the original on November 6 2012 Retrieved July 5 2017 This site is pay per view Rolly Paul April 9 2008 Paul Rolly Pro voucher group fined 5 2 million Salt Lake Tribune Retrieved February 6 2017 DeVos PAC fined record 5 2 million by Ohio elections board MLive com The Associated Press April 5 2008 Archived from the original on January 29 2013 Retrieved May 23 2011 Wermund Benjamin November 29 2016 Trump s education secretary pick led group that owes millions in election fines Politico Retrieved January 31 2017 School choice expanding as record fine languishes MLive com The Associated Press March 20 2011 Democratic senators press Trump s education pick Betsy DeVos to pay years old 5 3 million fine The Washington Post Dawsey Darrell Observers say latest affirmative action ruling may be overturned but battle goes on in Michigan MLive com July 5 2011 Grand Rapids MLive Media Group Stanton Ryan J Group questions why right wing Republican group is behind ads supporting Democrat Pam Byrnes AnnArbor com July 10 2010 MLive Media Group Klein Alyson May 17 2017 Betsy DeVos to Address American Federation for Children EdWeek Retrieved May 29 2017 Our Mission American Federation for Children Archived from the original on August 6 2013 Retrieved July 10 2013 100 Most Influential Women Betsy DeVos Crain s Detroit September 26 2016 Archived from the original on September 28 2016 Retrieved September 26 2016 Harris Douglas N November 25 2016 Betsy DeVos and the Wrong Way to Fix Schools The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved November 28 2016 DeVos and Detroit s Charter Schools National Review Retrieved February 6 2017 Greene Jay December 6 2016 When Evidence and Science are Really Just Assumptions and Ideology Education Next Turner Cory February 4 2017 Betsy DeVos Graduation Rate Mistake National Public Radio Retrieved February 4 2017 Herold Benjamin February 1 2017 Betsy DeVos Used Cherry Picked Graduation Rates for Cyber Charters Education Week Retrieved February 4 2017 Cox Brianna February 16 2017 We Need to Talk About the Betsy DeVos Cartoon Paste Magazine Archived from the original on March 30 2019 Retrieved March 22 2019 Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Addresses Twitter Typos Youtube The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon February 13 2017 Archived from the original on November 17 2021 Retrieved July 2 2020 Rosenburg Adam March 19 2018 Saturday Night Live roasts the epic fail of a 60 Minutes interview with Betsy DeVos Mashable Retrieved March 22 2019 Hinzman Dennis March 16 2018 Randy Rainbow Sits Down with Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos Out Retrieved March 22 2019 Trump s presidency turns into a musical mockery on RuPaul s Drag Race MSN March 21 2019 Retrieved March 22 2019 Schaefer Jim October 9 2007 Blackwater founder comes under fire USA Today Retrieved December 21 2016 Transcript Bill Moyers Journal October 19 2007 Retrieved December 21 2016 Thank you Betsy DeVos for leading GOP charge against Dave Agema The Grand Rapids Press January 28 2014 Retrieved December 21 2016 Kathy Barks Hoffmann November 12 2008 DeVos decides against Mich gubernatorial run The Holland Sentinel The Associated Press Windquest Group Archived February 2 2017 at the Wayback Machine website Wozniak Curt How I Spent My Summer Vacation Archived from the original on October 20 2013 Retrieved July 8 2013 About ArtPrize Retrieved July 13 2019 Forbes 400 No 88 Richard DeVos amp family Forbes retrieved January 4 2017 Bennett Laurie December 26 2011 The Ultra Rich Ultra Conservative DeVos Family Forbes Retrieved January 4 2017 Smith David November 23 2016 Betsy DeVos billionaire philanthropist picked as Trump education secretary The Guardian Retrieved January 4 2016 Further readingHoffman Kathy Barks July 10 2006 Faltering Economy Obstacle for Granholm Fox News The Associated Press Retrieved May 23 2011 Guyette Curt February 23 2000 God bless vouchers The DeVos family s crusade to change public education Metro Times Archived from the original on February 6 2010 Retrieved May 23 2011 External links nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to Betsy DeVos nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Betsy DeVos Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos Official website Appearances on C SPANParty political officesPreceded bySusy Avery Chair of the Michigan Republican Party1996 2000 Succeeded byGerald HillsPreceded byGerald Hills Chair of the Michigan Republican Party2003 2005 Succeeded bySaul AnuzisPolitical officesPreceded byJohn King Jr United States Secretary of Education2017 2021 Succeeded byMiguel CardonaU S order of precedence ceremonial Preceded byJohn F Kellyas Former US Cabinet Member Order of precedence of the United Statesas Former US Cabinet Member Succeeded byJeff Sessionsas Former US Cabinet Member Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Betsy DeVos amp oldid 1197279768, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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