The Democratic chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee revealed Friday that the Trump administration is blocking Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials — including agency director Dr. Robert Redfield — from testifying at a congressional hearing next week on school reopenings as the White House continues its efforts to force the resumption of in-person classes in the fall.
“It is alarming that the Trump administration is preventing the CDC from appearing before the committee at a time when its expertise and guidance is so critical to the health and safety of students, parents, and educators,” Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) said in a statement. “This lack of transparency does a great disservice to the many communities across the country facing difficult decisions about reopening schools this fall.”
“The administration’s strategy of prioritizing politics over science has had a devastating impact on our country throughout this pandemic,” Scott added. “It should not make that same mistake when it comes to reopening schools.”
NEWS: The White House will NOT allow @CDCgov to testify at next week’s Committee hearing on safely reopening schools. https://t.co/dNY32jNsja
— Committee on Education & the Workforce Democrats (@EdWorkforceDems) July 17, 2020
The White House confirmed its decision to block the testimony of Redfield and other CDC officials, saying the director “has testified on the Hill at least four times over the last three months.”
Educators and public health experts have denounced as reckless the Trump administration’s push to reopen schools as Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations surge across the United States. The White House, say teachers and parents, has failed to present a sensible plan to resume in-person classes without threatening the health of students and faculty.
“Without a comprehensive plan that includes federal resources to provide for the safety of our students and educators with funding for personal protective equipment, socially distanced instruction, and addressing racial inequity, we could be putting students, their families, and educators in danger,” six groups representing millions of U.S. teachers and parents said in a joint statement on July 7.
Instead of working with teachers and experts to decide the best way forward, President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos have publicly threatened to withhold federal funding from schools that refuse to reopen in the fall. Earlier this month, Trump complained on Twitter that the CDC’s school reopening guidelines — which encourage face coverings and social distancing in classrooms — are too “tough” and “expensive.”
“It’s imperative that we listen to the experts,” tweeted Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), a member of the House Education and Labor Committee. “It’s alarming, but sadly not surprising, that the president is barring them from the room.”
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
As journalists, we have a responsibility to look at hard realities and communicate them to you. We hope that you, like us, can use this information to prepare for what’s to come.
And if you feel uncertain about what to do in the face of a second Trump administration, we invite you to be an indispensable part of Truthout’s preparations.
In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
We’re asking all of our readers to start a monthly donation or make a one-time donation – as a commitment to stand with us on day one of Trump’s presidency, and every day after that, as we produce journalism that combats authoritarianism, censorship, injustice, and misinformation. You’re an essential part of our future – please join the movement by making a tax-deductible donation today.
If you have the means to make a substantial gift, please dig deep during this critical time!
With gratitude and resolve,
Maya, Negin, Saima, and Ziggy