On the recordFebruary 8, 2022
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for yielding time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to stand for students, to stand for parents' ability to make decisions for their own kids. Across the country, children are struggling. Despite being nearly 2 years into the pandemic now, tens of thousands of students started this year off still being forced to learn from behind a screen, cut off from their peers. Many school districts are mandating masks for children of all ages against their parents' wishes. Parents should have the option to send their kids to school in person and to decide whether or not they want to have their kids wearing a mask at school. Thanks to the leadership of our great Governor of Iowa, Governor Reynolds, and our hardworking teachers in Iowa, parents have had the option to send their kids to school in person in class for over a year. Governor Reynolds stood for families by banning school mask mandates and allowing parents--parents--to make this personal health decision for their own children. That is at the heart of this issue we are talking about today. Parents should be empowered. They should be empowered to make choices that impact their children's physical and mental health, their development, and their future. As a mom, I know why parents across the country are standing up and speaking out when they are being told that they can't decide what is right for their kids or their family.…





