Senate Democrats had an opportunity to take a stand for America’s students by “following the science.” Like President Biden, they chose to stand for politics and teachers unions instead.
GOP Sens. Tim Scott of South Carolina and Roy Blunt of Missouri introduced an amendment to the budget that would prevent public schools from receiving federal funds if they don’t resume in-person learning even after their teachers have been vaccinated. It was a commonsense proposal, given that the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that teachers don’t even need to be vaccinated for schools to reopen safely.
But the “party of science” decided to put its newfound Senate majority to use by backing teachers unions that refuse to let schools reopen. The amendment was voted down by every single Democrat in the Senate (showing once again how important those Georgia Senate runoffs were).
The measure was nonbinding, but it shows just how far Senate Democrats are willing to go to protect teachers unions. This wasn’t just some talking point for the GOP: Teachers unions in New York City, Los Angeles, and Fairfax County, Virginia, have all declared that vaccinating teachers is not enough to protect teachers and reopen their schools.
For all their talk about following the science and listening to the experts, Democrats have refused to apply that to reopening schools, even though states such as Florida and Texas have had them open since the start of the fall semester. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said that “there is increasing data to support that schools can safely reopen and that safe reopening does not suggest teachers need to be vaccinated,” which was downplayed by the Biden administration.
There are no excuses at this point for why students shouldn’t be resuming in-person instruction, as Walensky and Dr. Anthony Fauci have made clear. Failing grades are setting students back years, and the mental health issues can be fatal. When the director of the CDC says teachers don’t need to be vaccinated for safe reopenings, keeping schools closed is foolish. When unions promise to keep schools closed after teachers get vaccinated, it’s indefensible.
The “party of science” messaging will always take a back seat to the reality that Democrats are the party of whatever unions say they are. In this case, Democratic mayors who actually have to deal with school closures are left to fend for themselves, while Biden and Senate Democrats let teachers unions know that no child’s education will take priority over union demands.
