WASHINGTON, DC – This week, House Democrats once again rejected consideration of Rep. Ashley Hinson’s (IA-01) Reopen Schools Act, which Rep. Beth Van Duyne (TX-24) cosponsored.

“Many students have not seen the inside of the classroom for almost a year now,” said Van Duyne. “Despite the CDC’s guidance on schools’ ability to reopen safely, Nancy Pelosi and her Democrat colleagues continue to side with teachers’ unions and block all efforts to reopen our schools. It’s a shame that the well-being of future generations is being held captive to partisan games. I’m calling on Speaker Pelosi to put our nation’s children first and allow the House to vote on Rep. Hinson’s Reopen Schools Act. It is well beyond time to get our students back in school.”

While the Democrats’ $1.9. trillion COVID relief package authorizes $126.8 billion to schools, according the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), 95% of the money will not be spent until 2022 and beyond, further slowing the reopening of our schools. Meanwhile, nearly all of the $68 billion of previous relief designated to K-12 schools remains available and could be utilized immediately.