Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to the previous question so that the House can immediately consider Congresswoman Hinson's H.R. 6619, the Unmask Our Kids Act. The Unmask Our Kids Act would restrict funds from going to any local education agencies that don't offer an option for in-person instruction at both elementary and secondary public schools. Further, the Unmask Our Kids Act would allow parents to opt their child out of having to wear a mask at school. As the mother of two children, I understand how important it is for all kids to be in school, learning among their peers. Unfortunately, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a political theater of both masking policies and virtual learning, which has resulted in K-12 students paying the price through learning loss, which is at an even higher rate among students who come from disadvantaged families. Several studies have found that there are adverse effects on the quality of education due to the lack of time students spend with their peers, especially for students who struggled with school before the pandemic. Students need and deserve to have in-person instruction so that they can receive the best education possible for their future. As a physician and former director of public health, I recognize that children are at low risk of severe illness with COVID and low risk of transmission. A recent study found that grade-schoolers are at a lower risk than vaccinated adults.…”