In an attempt to negotiate with the Democrats’ coronavirus stimulus package, five House Republicans proposed amendments to get children back to in-person learning. In a party-line vote, House Democrats shot down all five amendments.
During an Education and Labor committee meeting, representatives from California, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, and Virginia proposed different amendments aimed at withholding stimulus money from schools that refused to offer in-person learning.
In the Senate, Democrats turned down a similar amendment that would have withheld taxpayer dollars from schools that refuse to reopen after teachers are vaccinated.
The Daily Wire reported:
Senate Democrats nixed a Republican-led amendment to withhold federal dollars from schools that refused to open. The proposed amendment for the Democrats’ $1.9 trillion coronavirus bailout bill was a water-down version of the “Put Students First Act of 2021,” which would prohibit federal funding to schools that do not provide an in-person learning option by the end of April.
Here are the five proposals that Democrats declined to include in the stimulus package:
#1 – Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA):
In Allen’s amendment, if a school district were to take K-12 money included in the stimulus bill, school districts must offer an in-person instruction option for students to take advantage of.
In a statement to The Daily Wire, Allen said that Democrats are hindering reopening efforts to satiate teacher unions.
“[Democrats are] caught between children and families who desperately need schools to reopen and their teacher union allies,” Allen said. “And so far, they’re siding with the union, who have made it loud and clear that students will not return to the classroom until their socialist wish list demands — like defunding the police and canceling rent — are met.”
#2 – Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA):
Steel’s proposal closely mimics Allen’s amendment, though she includes that the money would only be withheld from teachers and districts that have access to the COVID-19 vaccine.
This provision is unnecessary according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky, who said that teachers do not need to be vaccinated to return to in-person learning.
#3 – Grep Murphy (R-NC):
Murphy’s amendment calls for schools to reopen only to severe high-risk students — those with disabilities, low-income students, and special education programs — to receive funding included in the bill.
As schools across the country prepare to open their doors to hybrid learning, students in special education courses and preschoolers are typically the first to return.
#4 – Rep. Bob Good (R-VA):
Good attempted to bring transparency to the negotiation process between school districts and teacher unions. In Good’s amendment, K-12 funding from the stimulus bill was contingent upon making labor negotiations public.
Democrats were all but sure to vote against such a measure as they have taken thousands of dollars in campaign donations from teacher unions.
#5 – Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL):
Miller took the most conservative approach and advocated for a “fund students, not schools”-style amendment. She proposed that if school districts take K-12 stimulus money and refuse to reopen, then the money would be transferred to an education savings account for parents to use on alternative education programs.
Miller told The Daily Wire that she believes Democrats are ignoring the science and leaving students without an adequate education.
“Certain schools have chosen to remain closed indefinitely, despite reopening guidelines provided by the CDC, prioritized access to vaccines, and excess government funding,” Miller said. “This has left many students without an adequate in-person education. It’s clear that my Democrat colleagues continue to follow the marching orders of their teacher union political allies who are actively fighting to keep kids out of the classroom.”