Civil Rights

Testifying Wednesday before the House Education and Labor Committee Betsy DeVos said she knew one of her very first acts as Secretary of Education could greatly harm transgender students, but she did it anyway.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos admitted Wednesday that she was aware of the the hardships faced by transgender students when she rolled back Obama-era guidelines meant to protect their rights.

House Democrats who focus on education peppered U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos with questions about her vision for school choice, arming teachers, and federal education law during a lengthy, often confrontational hearing here Wednesday.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos knew one of her policy decisions could lead to worse academic performance and depression among transgender students.

And she did it anyway.

DeVos admitted as much on Wednesday in response to questions from Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) during a congressional hearing before the Education and Labor committee.

During a House Committee on Education and Labor hearing on Wednesday, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos shared an admission that seemed to startle some members of Congress.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos seems to have a problem answering direct questions with direct answers — at least when testifying before Congress.

DeVos was on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to testify about her department's policies and priorities before the House Committee on Education and Labor and was asked repeatedly to provide yes-or-no answers to questions. She rarely did.

Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) talked about several issues, sometimes getting direct answers from DeVos, sometimes not.

In a scathing attack on the Trump administration's immigration policies, Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives have called them xenophobic, abhorrent, un-American, and have pledged to protect the human rights of those seeking refuge and asylum in the US.