Update (02/01/17): Citing these fears as well as DeVos’ ignorance about civil rights protections in schools, Duckworth announced on Tuesday morning that she would vote against confirming DeVos. “Cutting resources for our public schools is not a formula for success; it robs students of their right to a quality, equitable education,” she said in a statement. “I was also stunned by her apparent lack of knowledge of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) – a federal law that requires schools across the nation to equitably educate students with disabilities. And I am troubled by her statement that the treatment of students with disabilities is ‘an issue that’s best left to the states,’ which makes her misunderstanding of the law’s premise clear.”