In response to Betsy DeVos’ virtual event in Kentucky today, Democratic National Committee spokesperson John Weber released the following statement:

“Betsy DeVos can’t spin Donald Trump’s three and a half years of broken promises. Now more than ever, Kentuckians need a president and secretary of education who will stand up for students. Instead, Trump and DeVos are ignoring CDC guidance for how schools can safely reopen while threatening to slash the funds they need to keep students safe. Working families deserve better, and this November they’re going to vote to bring this failed administration to an end.”

BACKGROUND ON TRUMP AND DEVOS’ BROKEN PROMISES

Promise: “We’ll fight for our great schools and we want to make them incredible. We want to make our schools really good.” [Trump Campaign Rally, 12/9/2016]

Reality: Trump is pushing to weaken guidance for the safe reopening of schools and threatening to take away funding that schools say they will need to safely reopen.

Reality: After Congress passed emergency education funding to help public schools adjust to the pandemic, Betsy DeVos failed to quickly distribute the relief to schools that needed it. Instead, she withheld hundreds of millions of dollars from public school districts and funneled the relief to private companies. Now, Senate Republicans are refusing to take up legislation for additional relief funding for school districts.

Reality: Despite rising death tolls and record unemployment, DeVos has described the coronavirus pandemic as an “opportunity” to promote her disastrous agenda.

Reality: The Trump administration has failed to equip public schools to deal with the pandemic. Asked about the need for high-speed internet access, DeVos said distance learning can happen “in the woods behind your house.”