Republican Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy revealed on Sunday that he disagrees with some of the pandemic policies of GOP Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Earlier in the month, DeSantis issued an executive order forbidding school districts throughout the Sunshine State from violating “constitutional freedoms,” infringing on parental rights, and ignoring “disabilities or health conditions” that would preclude a student from wearing a mask. The directive, which mainly served to block institutions from requiring face coverings, was in response to a mask mandate issued by Broward County Public Schools.
“I’m a conservative,” Cassidy, a physician, said on a segment of CNN’s State of the Union. “I think you govern best when you govern closest to the people being governed and if a local community … their ICU is full … then the local officials should be listened to. That is a conservative principle.”
“I do disagree with Gov. DeSantis,” the Louisiana lawmaker added. “The local officials should have control here. I don’t want top-down from Washington, D.C. I don’t want top-down from a governor’s office.”
FLORIDA SCHOOL DISTRICT DROPS MASK MANDATE AFTER DESANTIS THREATENS TO WITHHOLD FUNDING
DeSantis’s order, which in part threatened to restrict state funding for noncompliant school districts, appeared to force Broward County Public Schools to backpedal its coronavirus mask guidelines for the fall school year. The district said it “intends to comply with the Governor’s latest Executive Order” in light of the consequences.
“Safety remains our highest priority,” the school system added. “The District will advocate for all eligible students and staff to receive vaccines and strongly encourage masks to be worn by everyone in schools. The District will also work to adhere to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, including frequent cleaning and disinfecting of our schools, physical distancing, hand washing, and staying home when sick. The District is continuing to collaborate with our local health organizations to monitor trends in the spread of COVID-19 and variants.”
A day before DeSantis’s executive order, Broward County Public Schools instituted its face-covering mandate despite the governor’s outspoken opposition to the move. School board member Lori Alhadeff said she previously wanted to make the fall semester “as normal as possible,” though she and others reneged on the issue when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance that said U.S. residents, regardless of vaccination status, should don masks in a number of situations after the government body indicated the same individuals need not wear face coverings in the weeks prior.
Prior to the order, DeSantis attended a roundtable discussion on the issue and said the imposition of face-covering requirements should not be tolerated.
“Our view is that this should absolutely not be imposed. It should not be mandated,” he said.
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Over the last two weeks, the U.S. has seen a 111% rise in cases, an 84% jump in hospitalizations, and an 89% increase in virus-related deaths due largely to the highly contagious delta variant. About 60% of the country’s population is fully vaccinated, while last week, the U.S. reached a milestone and a goal of President Joe Biden when 70% of the adult population had received shots.
Some leaders have opted for more stringent restrictions in response to the uptick, while others, including DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, have resisted new regulations.
