Representative Steve Scalise, R-La., Said President Biden’s goal of opening most K-8 schools by April 30 is far short of what children need, and Republican Whip asked Biden to choose science in instead of teacher unions.
Scalise, who just called concerned parents who want their schools to reopen, said Biden’s goal should be 100% of schools open in their first 100 days. Anything below that is a disservice to children who are suffering, Scalise told Fox News in an interview on Thursday.
“Either you’re going to commit to opening all schools safely, or you’re going to leave millions of children behind for no other reason than the fear of facing teacher unions. Because the science is very clear: you can open all schools safely today and the money is there, “Scalise told Fox News.
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“The only thing that some of these leaders lack, including the president, is the willingness to put the kids back in the classroom now.”
Representative Steve Scalise, R-La.
The reopening of schools has been a priority for the new Biden government, although the White House has been soft on its goals.
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Biden on Tuesday night distanced himself from previous comments by White House press secretary Jen Psaki that the government’s goal for the first 100 days was to have more than 50% of schools open at least one day a week. This low bar has been widely criticized, especially since the United States has already passed it.
Biden called Psaki’s explanation of a communication “error” and told CNN City Hall on Tuesday that the real goal is to open most K-8 schools at the end of their first 100 days, which fall on April 30. .
“I think we will be close to that at the end of the first 100 days,” said Biden of elementary and high schools.
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A challenge for the reopening of schools has been teacher unions that want guarantees that they can return to work safely, with the California Teachers Association in January asking for vaccinations before going back to school.
But CDC principal Rochelle Walensky said that her agency’s newly released guidance says it is possible that schools “even in areas of greater community distribution” will safely reopen – at least in a hybrid way – without teachers being vaccinated first.
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Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the Democrats’ $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus package is needed to help more schools reopen. About $ 130 billion of this package is for K-12 public schools.
“We want as many children as possible to go back to school. For that to happen, we need some money,” said Pelosi on Thursday, citing the need for better ventilation systems, more teachers and more buses to accommodate distance standards. Social.
But Scalise called Pelosi’s suggestion that money is the reason why some schools remained closed “ridiculous”. He said that money for the reopening of schools has not yet been spent from the original $ 150 billion allocated to states last March under the CARES Act.
“When we put $ 150 billion out there for the states to cover COVID’s expenses, which included the ability to reopen schools safely,” said Scalise.
He continued: “You have some big systems that are willing to do what is right for children and some that have chosen not to do it. And they are doing devastating and long-term damage to these children by not reopening. And it is a national disgrace. “
Republicans criticized Biden’s $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus proposal as not encouraging schools to reopen now. They point to a new report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that estimated that only $ 6 billion of the $ 128 billion education package would go to schools in 2021.
“According to the Congressional Budget Office, 95% of the school’s money will not be spent until 2022,” said Scalise, who will urge his colleagues to vote “no” on Biden’s coronavirus project next week. “So this Pelosi-Biden bill would actually delay the reopening of schools until 2022, which is creating even more anger when you think about the fact that science now says you can put them back in the classroom today.”
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Scalise organized a phone call Thursday with 900 parents from across the country through grassroots groups working to reopen their local schools.
He was joined by Republican representatives Virginia Foxx, the top Republican on the House’s Education and Work Committee; Brad Wenstrup, co-chairman of Doctor’s Caucus; and Ashley Hinson, who drafted legislation to give full federal funding to schools that physically reopen and penalize districts that remain closed.
Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio
(Rep. Brad Wenstrup)
Wenstrup, an Ohio physician, said that keeping children at home without going to school has far more serious consequences than the potential risks of sending them back. It is time for local districts and the Biden administration to follow the science that says it is safe to reopen schools now, he said.
“Like the thousands of other Americans who worked during the pandemic, most teachers can return to school in person without having been fully vaccinated,” said Wenstrup.
Foxx and the Republicans on the Education Committee last week tried to pass several amendments to the Biden coronavirus relief bill to give students the opportunity for personal learning as a condition for money. But all amendments were blocked by Democrats.
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“Democrats have repeatedly chosen to support special left-wing interests rather than protecting vulnerable students,” Foxx, RN.C. said in a statement to Fox News.
Representative Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, serves on the House Appropriations Committee and is the author of the School Reopening Act.
(Official photo)
Hinson earlier this month tried to force an immediate consideration on the House floor of his School Reopening Act, which provides new conditions on the $ 54 billion that Congress allocated to K-12 schools in December to help them reopen with safety. Hinson’s bill would hinder schools that are not open for face-to-face learning, reducing the amount of federal money they receive. Democrats blocked the Republican party’s effort.
Hinson said parents on Thursday’s call are understandably frustrated with state and local officials who continue to delay the reopening of schools.
“It looks like there is a lack of political willpower to really move forward,” Hinson, R-Iowa, told Fox News. “I think we need that responsibility because … it is a terrible service for our students that people keep passing the ball. They are playing politics with our children’s future right now.”
On Saturday, the school reopening tracker Burbio.com found that only 40.8% of elementary and high school students in public schools in the United States attended school in person every day. About a third of North American students attended only virtual schools, while the rest attended a hybrid, virtual and classroom program.
Fox News Tyler Olson, Peter Aitken and Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.