Public Radio for the Piedmont and High Country
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Critics Say Burr Should Recuse Himself In Education Secretary Vote

U.S. Senator Richard Burr. Credit: Official U.S. Senate photo

Critics are calling on U.S. Senator Richard Burr to recuse himself from voting on President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for education secretary. The controversy is over contributions made to his campaign.

Two Democratic-leaning organizations say Senator Burr should reuse himself from voting on Betsy DeVos as Trump's nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Education.

A review by the Winston-Salem Journal shows that DeVos and her relatives contributed over $43,000 to Burr's campaign during the 2016 election cycle.

David Donnelly, the CEO of Every Voice, says that if Burr doesn't recuse himself, it gives the appearance that high-ranking government positions can be “bought by and sold to the highest bidder.”

Aides to Senator Burr have declined to comment.

In 2013, several Democratic U.S. Senators declined to recuse themselves from voting on Penny Pritzker, President Obama's pick for commerce secretary.

But critics say this situation is different, because DeVos, the former chair of the Michigan Republican Party, has made it clear she expects a return on investment when she donates money.

Neal Charnoff joined 88.5 WFDD as Morning Edition host in 2014. Raised in the Catskill region of upstate New York, he graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1983. Armed with a liberal arts degree, Neal was fully equipped to be a waiter. So he prolonged his arrested development bouncing around New York and L.A. until discovering that people enjoyed listening to his voice on the radio. After a few years doing overnight shifts at a local rock station, Neal spent most of his career at Vermont Public Radio. He began as host of a nightly jazz program, where he was proud to interview many of his idols, including Dave Brubeck and Sonny Rollins. Neal graduated to the news department, where he was the local host for NPR's All Things Considered for 14 years. In addition to news interviews and features, he originated and produced the Weekly Conversation On The Arts, as well as VPR Backstage, which profiled theater productions around the state. He contributed several stories to NPR, including coverage of a devastating ice storm. Neal now sees the value of that liberal arts degree, and approaches life with the knowledge that all subjects and all art forms are connected to each other. Neal and his wife Judy are enjoying exploring North Carolina and points south. They would both be happy to never experience a Vermont winter again.

Support quality journalism, like the story above,
with your gift right now.

Donate