EXCLUSIVE: Group Of Senate Republicans Demand Answers From CDC, DHS On Reopening Schools
A group of Senate Republicans sent a letter Wednesday to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHS), demanding answers on reopening schools across the country.
In a letter first obtained by the Daily Caller, addressed to CDC director Rochelle Walensky and DHS Sec. Xavier Becerra, Republican Senators Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Rand Paul of Kentucky, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Rick Scott of Florida and Josh Hawley of Missouri call on both the CDC and the DHS to provide them with a list of answers on reopening schools by June 2.
The letter mentions emails obtained by Americans for Public Trust that the Senators say show a close “partnership” with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and collaboration with the National Educational Association (NEA) on the drafting of the CDC’s school reopening guidance.
“As members of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs write to request information regarding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) guidance entitled ‘Operational Strategy for Reopening Schools,’” the lawmakers write in the letter.
“Recently released emails show close coordination between the CDC and teachers unions on the language of school reopening guidance. Political interference from administration-friendly special interest groups that is divorced from science harms children who have been lacking in-person instruction for prolonged periods of time,” they continued. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Republicans Call On Pelosi To Return House To Normal, End Mask Mandate After New CDC Guidelines Released)
These Are The Requests Made In The Letter:
- How many drafts of the school reopening guidance did CDC share with AFT?
- When did CDC share each draft of the school reopening guidance with AFT?
- A list of all non-governmental organizations CDC and/or the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) communicated or consulted with in drafting and updating the guidance. For this request, please provide the date of communication, whether the non-governmental organization received a draft of the guidance, and whether CDC implemented suggested changes to the draft guidance.
- All documents and communications with AFT referring or relating to the guidance.
- All documents and communications with NEA referring or relating to the guidance.
READ THE LETTER HERE:
(DAILY CALLER OBTAINED) Let… by Henry Rodgers
The CDC unveiled its new mask guidance Thursday, which said that vaccinated people were safe without wearing masks outdoors and in most indoor settings. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Bryan Steil Presses Biden, Asks What Prompted CDC’s Abrupt Reversal On Mask Guidance)
Biden said the new CDC mask rules represented a big moment in the battle to defeat COVID-19.
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