Democrats Block Bill to Unmask Kids

Yesterday, House Democrats blocked Iowa Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson’s bill to restrict funding for schools that don’t offer parents a choice on masks or in-person learning. Democrats blocked the bill despite growing consensus among medical experts — and even liberal governors — that parents and students should make their own decisions about wearing a mask in school.

A child psychiatrist at John Hopkins, Dr. Carol Vidal, argued that it was time for masks to come off because students were falling behind. CNN medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen also stated that masks should be optional and criticized the Biden-Harris administration’s guidance.

Fox News: Wen later called on the White House to follow the example of the states choosing to end their mask mandates, arguing it was becoming “less and less relevant” if the guidance the CDC was putting out wasn’t being followed by anyone.

“That makes the CDC and our federal public health authorities have less credibility. And so, I really believe that they need to be changing their guidance,” Wen said. “We need to hear their leadership here. The CDC has already lost a lot of trust and credibility. This is their time to rebuild and remove restrictions as quickly as they were put in.”

Republicans took to the House floor to slam Democrats and advocate for parents — and to criticize liberal politicians for failing to follow their own Covid guidelines, including in schools. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a doctor and a mom, said it’s critically important for students to learn in-person and that parents have a choice on masks.

I just spoke on the House floor to immediately bring up @RepAshleyHinson's Unmask Our Kids Act. If a parent and student believe it is in the best interest of their health and well-being to wear a mask, so be it. We must stop this political game that is making our students suffer. pic.twitter.com/ApeLFXbrrD

— Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, M.D. (@RepMMM) February 8, 2022

Bottom Line: The Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress are still refusing to move on from politically toxic Covid restrictions, despite growing consensus among medical experts and even Democrats in state and local governments.