Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., have introduced a bill aimed at stopping a COVID-19 vaccine mandate in Washington, D.C., public schools.
The Washington Examiner reported that government officials in the nation's capital had approved a citywide vaccine mandate for all eligible K-12 students earlier this year. The mandate was scheduled to go into effect at the beginning of the new school year, but officials delayed it until January 2023 because of noncompliance, particularly among those in the Black community.
The proposed federal legislation would stop the district's mandate and prevent federal funds from being used to implement it, according to the news outlet.
A statement released by Cruz's office called the mandate "racist."
Cruz said: "D.C. public schools are blatantly discriminating against black students in our nation's capital. The rate of vaccination for black students between the ages of 12 and 15 in Washington, D.C. is 60% — far lower than the city average. D.C. schools has already postponed enforcement of this racist policy until 2023 and they should simply scrap it. Until they do, I will fight for the students of D.C. and work to end this mandate."
Blackburn added: "Right now, any news organization worth its subscription fee is running story after story with evidence that the left's forever pandemic is destroying the mental and emotional well-being of children. Yet somehow, right here in our nation's capital, leaders are depriving students of a basic education if they don't comply with the district's highly politicized vaccine mandate.
"Getting vaccinated should be a decision between a patient, parent, and doctor — not politicians pressured by big teachers' unions and radical activists."
The Examiner noted, while D.C. has its own city government, Congress has the power to repeal any resolution or ordinance passed by the city. Sens. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., James Lankford, R-Okla., Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Roger Marshall, R-Kan., also joined Cruz and Blackburn in introducing the bill.
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Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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