Democrats have pounced on Betsy DeVos following a somewhat bumpy confirmation hearing earlier this week. | Getty Republicans delay DeVos committee vote by a week

Sen. Lamar Alexander, chair of the Senate education committee, has delayed by a week a planned committee vote on Betsy DeVos, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Education secretary.

The vote, which was originally slated for this Tuesday, has been rescheduled until Jan. 31, Alexander announced Friday evening.


The delay comes as Democrats have argued that they haven’t had enough time to examine DeVos’ complicated financial holdings or ask her questions. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the committee, has said she’s concerned that the committee was moving too fast with DeVos’ nomination.

Earlier today, the Office of Government Ethics released DeVos’ financial disclosure and ethics paperwork. Alexander had previously said that if those documents were finalized by the end of this week, he would hold a committee vote on her nomination next Tuesday.

Instead the committee vote is now set for the following Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 10 a.m.

View DeVos faces tough questions during confirmation hearing Betsy DeVos faces tough questions during her confirmation hearing on Tuesday.

Alexander’s office said that the delay was meant “to give each Senator time to review” DeVos' government ethics paperwork that was released Friday.

DeVos has agreed to sever ties to several companies that provide services to schools and colleges, as well as a debt collection agency that collects student loans on behalf of the Education Department. The Michigan billionaire reached an agreement on Thursday with government ethics officials that will require her to divest from 102 of those assets that could potentially pose a conflict for her as Education secretary.

Democrats have pounced on DeVos following a somewhat bumpy confirmation hearing earlier this week. But Republicans have so far have stood united in support of her nomination.

Alexander has said she’s an “excellent” choice for education secretary and “has dedicated her life to helping children, especially low-income children, have the opportunity to attend a good school.”

An Alexander aide said that DeVos "has completed the committee’s paperwork, answered questions for 3½ hours at her confirmation hearing, met privately with the members of the committee and she will now spend the coming days answering senators’ written questions for the record."