January 9, 2017

The Honorable Lamar Alexander

Chairman
U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
428 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Chairman Alexander:
As governors, we know the conditions placed on local schools by the federal government. While state and
local governments bear the chief responsibility for funding our K-12 systems, we take issue with many of
the mandates imposed on states.
That is why we strongly support Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trumps nominee for secretary of
education. Betsy DeVos will fight to streamline the federal education bureaucracy, return authority back
to states and local school boards, and ensure that more dollars are reaching the classroom.
Betsy DeVos also is a passionate supporter of increasing parental engagement in their childrens
education and of harnessing the power of competition to drive improvement in all K-12 schools, whether
they be public, private or virtual.
President-elect Trump has made an inspired choice to reform federal education policy and allow state and
local policymakers to craft innovative solutions to ensure our children are receiving the skills and
knowledge to be successful in the world and modern workforce.
For the above-stated reasons, we look forward to partnering with Betsy DeVos to ensure that every child
has the opportunity to reach his or her potential in the classroom.
Sincerely,

Governor Rick Snyder

Michigan

Governor Robert Bentley

Alabama

Governor Douglas A. Ducey

Arizona

Governor Asa Hutchinson

Arkansas

Governor Edward J. Baza Calvo

Guam

Governor Bruce Rauner

Illinois

Governor Eric Holcomb

Indiana

Governor Sam Brownback

Kansas

Governor Paul R. LePage

Maine

Governor Phil Bryant

Mississippi

Governor Eric R. Greitens

Missouri

Governor Pete Ricketts

Nebraska

Governor Brian Sandoval

Nevada

Governor Chris Christie

New Jersey

Governor Susana Martinez

New Mexico

Governor Ralph Torres

Northern Mariana Islands

Governor Mary Fallin

Oklahoma

Governor Bill Haslam

Tennessee

Governor Greg Abbott

Texas

Governor Scott Walker

Wisconsin