Pence breaks US Senate tie to confirm DeVos as secretary of

The US Senate confirmed billionaire heiress Betsy DeVos as the next secretary of education today, after Vice President Mike Pence was forced to break a tie on the deeply controversial nomination.
The chamber deadlocked at 50-50, with two Republican senators breaking ranks to oppose DeVos, a champion of using taxpayer monies to help fund privately run schools.
"The Senate being equally divided, the vice president votes in the affirmative, and the nomination is confirmed," Pence said.