A bombshell report came out Saturday suggesting that a powerful teachers union influenced a federal medical science report.
It also illustrated President Biden’s philosophy that it’s not "we the people," but "we the government" that’s running the show.
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) reportedly lobbied and actively suggested language revisions to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for its report on school re-openings, according to the New York Post.
The newspaper acquired emails between the AFT, the CDC, and top White House officials, suggesting the agency was strong-armed in what The Post called a “full-court press.”
"Thank you again for Friday’s rich discussion about forthcoming CDC guidance and for your openness to the suggestions made by our president, Randi Weingarten, and the AFT," wrote Kelly Trautner, AFT senior director for health issues in a Feb 1 email describing the union as the CDC’s "thought partner."
"We were able to review a copy of the draft guidance document over the weekend and were able to provide some initial feedback to several staff this morning about possible ways to strengthen the document," Trautner continued.
Negotiations continued through at least Feb. 7, when emails indicate that a call was scheduled between CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky and Weingarten.
The public first got wind that something may be a tad hinky when, on Feb. 3, Walensky suggested that the time was ripe to fully reopen public schools for in-person education.
"There is increasing data to suggest that schools can safely reopen and that that safe reopening does not suggest that teachers need to be vaccinated in order to reopen safely," she said, speaking from the White House.
"While we are implementing the criteria of the Advisory Committee and of the state and local guidances to get vaccination across these eligible communities, I would also say that safe reopening of schools is not — that vaccination of teachers is not a prerequisite for safe reopening of schools."
That appeared to settle the issue — especially for parents watching their school-age children sink further into depression. But the White House had different ideas.
A reporter brought up the CDC director’s apparently unequivocal statement, and asked press secretary Jen Psaki why the White House hadn’t yet pushed for school openings.
"Dr. Walensky spoke to this in her personal capacity," Psaki claimed. "Obviously, she’s the head of the CDC, but we’re going to wait for the final guidance to come out so we can use that as a guide for schools around the country."
Walensky obviously didn’t offer a personal opinion. She was addressing reporters at a White House press briefing conducted by the COVID-19 response team and public health officials, according to the White House website.
Nonetheless, when the CDC released its final recommendations on February 12, it was a far cry from Walensky’s announcement nine days earlier.
While it left much of the public angry and perplexed, an AFT press release praised it.
"Today, the CDC met fear of the pandemic with facts and evidence," the press release began. "For the first time since the start of this pandemic, we have a rigorous road map, based on science, that our members can use to fight for a safe reopening."
Even before the CDC released its final report, Bloomberg News saw it as a battle of "CDC Science Against Union Clout."
But there was another force at work — the president’s politics.
That was apparent on Jan. 21, when first lady Jill Biden welcomed the heads of the country’s two largest teachers’ unions to the White House.
"Joe is going to be a champion for you," she told the group.
And it’s not likely to get any better. Biden adviser Anita Dunn wouldn’t commit to schools reopening even in September during a Sunday CNN appearance, because "it's an unpredictable virus."
Newsmax columnist Clarence McKee predicted the CDC’s decision two days prior to its official release.
"As I have written in this space, union demands take priority over the needs of vulnerable low-income school children," he concluded.
"It is a shameful betrayal of the children of the Democratic Party’s most loyal constituency — especially during Black History Month."
During Biden’s scaled-down first address before a joint session of Congress, he referred to "We the People" — the first three words of the preamble to the Constitution (you know, "the thing") — stating, "It’s time we remembered that ‘we the people’ are the government. You and I."
No, the Founders chose those words carefully, as a reminder that the government is subservient to "we the people" and can do nothing without its consent.
And it demonstrates why we need fewer lawyers and career politicians in government, and more economists and business leaders.
Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and has been a frequent contributor to BizPac Review and Liberty Unyielding. He is also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and an enthusiastic Second Amendment supporter, who can often be found honing his skills at the range. Read Dorstewitz's Reports — More Here.
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