House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) told Breitbart News in an exclusive statement on Tuesday that if Democrats truly “trusted the science,” they would have voted for Rep. Ashley Hinson’s (R-IA) bill to unmask children in school.
House Republicans offered a motion to defeat the previous question on H. Res. 912, a bill to enhance the U.S. Postal Service. If the House passed Republicans’ motion, they would have the House consider Hinson’s legislation, the Unmask Our Kids Act, or H.R. 6619. Hinson’s bill would:
- Block local education agencies from receiving Department of Education funding unless:
- Schools are open for in-person learning
- School mask mandates allow parents to opt-out on behalf of their children
Two-hundred and twenty-one Democrats blocked the Republican motion that would have ensured that children can receive in-person learning and do not have to be forced to wear masks in school.
Leader McCarthy told Breitbart News that forcing children to wear masks is “harmful.”
“House Democrats are playing politics and want you to believe they’re following the science. If they really trusted the science, they would have voted for Ashley Hinson’s Unmask Our Kids Act because the data against school-mask requirements are abundantly clear,” McCarthy explained. “Instead, 221 House Democrats voted against it, allowing schools districts to continue to impose mandates on young kids. That’s not only unfair to children, it is harmful for many of them.”
Many Democrat governors have increasingly scrapped mask mandates for schools as Americans continue to fight against the onerous coronavirus rules.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D), who instituted some of the most severe coronavirus policies, announced Monday that the will end mask mandates for school children and teachers in March. Murphy failed to cite data showing that school mask mandates worked.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) also announced on Tuesday that he would eliminate the statewide school mask mandate. Oregon plans to lift the state’s indoor mask requirement no later than March 31. Delaware Gov. John Carney (D) also said he would end the state’s indoor mask mandate.
Despite the growing nationwide Democrat interest in ditching the mask mandates, House Democrats voted against ending school mask mandates nationwide.
Reps. Hinson, Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), Jake LaTurner (R-KS), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), and Richard Hudson (R-NC) spoke on the House floor in support of the resolution.
Hinson said on the House floor:
Across the country, children are struggling. Despite being nearly two full years into the pandemic, tens of thousands of students started off this year still being forced to learn behind a screen, cut off from their peers.
And 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 they want their kids to wear a mask at school.
…
And Governor Reynolds stood up for families by banning school mask mandates and allowing parents to make this personal health decision for their own children.
That’s at the heart of this issue—parents should be empowered to make the 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 they can’t decide what is right for their kids and family.
And it is infuriating to watch the same people who push for kids to wear masks all day long flout the rules for a photo-op or for a night on the town.
“The next generation is too important not to fight for. When it comes to our children, and their well-being, we will not cave,” Hinson said. “Let’s put politics aside and put kids first. We should pass the Unmask Our Kids Act today. Thank you, and I yield back.”
Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.