Former White House senior COVID-19 adviser Andy Slavitt said Tuesday on CNN’s “The Situation Room” that Govs. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and Greg Abbott (R-TX) were not protecting the children of Texas and Florida from coronavirus, so President Joe Biden should.
Anchor Wolf Blitzer said, “What do you say to governors like Ron DeSantis that are actually fighting to keep masks out of schools?”
Slavitt said, “It’s time for Governor DeSantis to decides what matters, is it kids and families, or is it politics?”
He continued, “Mask mandates are not just important for the kid being vaccinated, but every kid in the classroom depends on other kids. When school districts try and do the right thing if he overrules them, he’s overruling conservative principals and local control, but more importantly, he’s putting kids at real risk. He has got pediatric hospitals filling up. It is time to put politics aside as Asa Hutchinson did and say he was wrong, and it’s time to move on.”
Blitzer said, “Andy, the president says he’s actually looking into whether he can intervene in Florida and Texas as governors clash with school officials over a mask. Does the Biden administration have a bigger role to play?”
Slavitt said, “Well, look, the president has no choice but to put every possible option on the table. It’s extraordinary to think we have governors in this country that aren’t putting the needs of school kids first. This is something that I think every voter and everybody in the country should be very focused on. Let’s get our kids vaccinated. For kids that aren’t vaccinated or can’t be vaccinated, they should simply be wearing a mask.”
“This is not a political issue,” he added. “It shouldn’t be a political issue. The president doesn’t care too much about Ron DeSantis or Greg Abbott. What he cares about are the people of Florida and Texas and the kids in Florida and the kids in Texas. I think he will do everything he can. He’s got to do everything he can to protect those kids. These hospitals are filling up right in front of DeSantis’ nose. It is almost shocking he’s not doing anything about it.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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