Education Secretary Miguel Cardona emphatically urged “adults” Thursday not to “let politics get in front of what is best for our students,” but promised not to cut federal funding for states should they implement policies prohibiting the following of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s coronavirus guidance.

Cardona stopped by Thursday’s White House press briefing to update reporters on new actions the federal government is taking to reopen schools safely in the fall. While answering a question on policies implemented by Govs. Ron DeSantis of Florida and Greg Abbott of Texas opposing the CDC’s latest mask guidance, expressed concerns that “decisions are being made that are not putting students at the center and student health and safety at the center.”