Jewish Billionaire Tries to Tilt the Balance Against DeVos

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By Nathan Guttman February 2, 2017

Confirmation of Donald Trump’s pick for Education secretary now depends on a single Senate vote, and one Jewish billionaire is trying to make sure that it swings against Betsy DeVos.

Eli Broad, a California businessman and philanthropist, sent a letter to senators urging them to vote against DeVos’s confirmation as Education secretary. “With Betsy DeVos at the helm of the U.S. Department of Education, much of the good work that has been accomplished to improve public education for all of America’s children could be undone,” Broad wrote, according to the Washington Post.

Broad is a major Democratic donor, but his warning carries some added value. As an advocate of charter schools, who donated $140 million for the cause, Broad’s opposition to DeVos does not stem from his loyalty to unions, as is the case with other Democrats, but of his disagreement with her educational philosophy.

Devos’s conformation vote is expected Friday and Republicans are scrambling to ensure no other senators cross the lines before the vote.

Contact Nathan Guttman at guttman@forward.com

Nathan Guttman, staff writer, was the Forward’s Washington bureau chief. He joined the staff in 2006 after serving for five years as Washington correspondent for the Israeli dailies Haaretz and The Jerusalem Post. In Israel, he was the features editor for Ha’aretz and chief editor of Channel 1 TV evening news. He was born in Canada and grew up in Israel. He is a graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

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