The two Republicans who broke ranks with their party and announced they would vote against education secretary nominee Betsy DeVos have received thousands of dollars from the nation's largest teachers union.

Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R., Alaska) and Susan Collins (R., Maine) have each benefited from contributions from the National Education Association. Collins received $2,000 from the union in 2002 and 2008, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Murkowski, meanwhile, has received $23,500.

The NEA represents 3 million members, making it the wealthiest and most influential union in the country. The NEA, along with other labor groups like the American Federation of Teachers, has waged a fierce campaign against DeVos, a billionaire philanthropist and school choice activist.

Teachers unions donate almost exclusively to Democrats. The NEA contributed $2.3 million to Democratic candidates in 2016, while Republican nominees received $350,000, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

The top beneficiaries of union largesse have already voted against DeVos' nomination at the committee level. The union donated $740,000 to the 11 Democratic members of that committee—all 11 attempted to prevent the nomination from reaching the Senate floor.

Murkowski received a 100 percent rating on a 2012 NEA Report Card, while Collins received a 75 percent rating—the only Republicans to earn marks above 50 percent from the group. Each senator has earned straight-A marks from the union since 2014.

Murkowski has long been a favorite of teachers unions. She was one of only four Republican senators to receive contributions from the NEA in 2016, hauling in $10,000, while the other three Republicans received only $3,200. She received the NEA's endorsement in 2010 when she won as an independent candidate after losing the GOP primary, and received it again in 2016.

"Lisa Murkowski understands public education and is committed to Alaska’s students," NEA-Alaska President Tim Parker said in a release. "Her leadership and advocacy were critical to passing the Every Student Succeeds Act, which put Alaskans back in control of Alaska’s public schools. Alaska’s educators and Senator Murkowski share a passion for increased student learning and ensuring that every child has the opportunity for success, regardless of their zip code."

Murkowski, a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, voted Tuesday to bring DeVos to the Senate floor for a vote. Her vote was critical in the 12-11 party line vote. However, she said Wednesday she plans to join Collins and Democrats in opposing the nomination.

The two Republican defections imperil DeVos' nomination. Republicans have a 52-48 majority in the Senate, so one more no vote or abstention could sink her candidacy to lead the Department of Education. Republicans need to recruit a Democratic vote to give DeVos the 51 votes needed for confirmation, though Vice President Mike Pence could cast the deciding vote in the event of a 50-50 tie.

http://freebeacon.com/politics/gop-defectors-received-thousands-teachers-union/

More about not 'loosing' liberal votes, IMO.

I don't think so; she'll vote in favor of commercial fishing 99% of the time. Bitch is bought.


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-gop/898912/posts

A politician bought........shocking!

By a teachers union Good republican.

The worst part is we're stuck with her for as long as she wants.

Nice... I think I had it before she lied about accepting the Primary election result...

Where's Sullivan on this vote?

She doesn't seem like the best choice to me (I would consider myself a Libertarian). My wife is a teacher (She is more conservative in her values than myself), and unless you have spent time dealing with the Public School System (we have, for over 20 years), I don't think you can have the insight necessary for such a position. That being said, Common Core sucks!, charter schools are a great way to funnel money out of the system, and most school administrators need to go.

The Fed Gov has no authority or business to meddle in education anyway. I say disband the entire Fed Dept of Education.

I agree

http://joemiller.us/2017/02/leftist...ally-attacks-trumps-border-wall-deficit/

Damn right. I been saying a long time that schools are a state and local problem. Heavy on the local. miles

As I watch Lisa's antics and then the Gov and Lt Gov pull their stunts.......WTF?......makes old Don Young look like our shining light!

Ain't that sad!

Well, Her stunt didn't work.

Yes, Devos got the job. Lisa is just s fool.

It did too work, It kept her donors happy and that was her plan

I think my views will be better received here than they were with my cousin who is an unemployed teacher at the time (her choice to leave her job, so her unemployment although sucks it's 100% on her)


was Ms DeVos the best person for the job? probably not

my thoughts:
-cut the national education budget save $400/year on fed taxes
-state raises ed taxes $200, local school raises taxes $200 i'm paying the same but it's staying local

NEXT
-local school is blowing money on stupid stuff (internet on school buses, you laugh but local school wants it and they probably will do it)
-now you go to the school board meeting and say "cut the wasteful spending"
-they don't
-join the school board and make some changes


so in the end cut the cord on the national education system except to make the certain standards all states must adhere to (teaching english, US History, math, throw in some life skills) and bring the power home teaching kids in rural alaska is way different than what is needed in DC

As a former fan of charters, I would encourage others to learn more about charter schools before one endorses them. We had one formed here in a school slated to be closed. First, they are not held to the same testing/performance standards as public schools. Also, because of budget constraints, they pay less. The teaching/admin staff becomes a rotating door, the best find better jobs, the bad stay. After about four years, concerned parents pulled their kids, now they have mostly dregs. Also, school choice rules allow students from surrounding districts to transfer in. The kids who are discipline problems or who have been expelled and their parents are paying tuition at a reduced rate.


Yes, this cesspool sucks money from the public schools that outperform it. Is that a good thing?

Uh ... they're politicians, they're all "bought." Whether y' know it or not, you're just bitchin' about being out-bid.

If yours doesnt work, shut it down or fix. But dont let a schitty school in your town speak for charter schools everywhere. I'm really tired of someone in PA (or elsewhere) with an experience, thinking that said experience will be the same everywhere else.

That's been the point of most of the discussion here- allow options in different parts of the country, keep the decisions local, and dont GAF what someone from somewhere else thinks.

Yep. Whats the worst that could happen; lower drop out rate and higher GPA's?

Anyone who gets high grades by teachers unions is not someone working to improve their educational future. LM has to be challenged by a proven conservative.
Having beat Joe Miller as a write-in, the AK Rep. Party has some work to do.
The teachers unions are afraid of just what Devos will do to reform their profession. The bottom line is that too many public educators are more concerned with their status than that of the students.

Maybe Sarah Palin will run against her ?

I just threw up a little in my mouth.

This was posted in a Craigslist rant and rave about Liiisa.