Rep. Ted Budd Supports Measure to Reopen Schools

Press Release

Today, Rep. Ted Budd (R-NC) spoke during the House Financial Services Committee's Budget Reconciliation Markup in favor of an amendment that would reopen schools to in-person learning immediately.

The amendment was introduced by Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA).

Rep. Budd's remarks can be viewed HERE.
The text of his remarks are below:

I support my friend from Georgia's amendment that would require city and county governments to reopen their schools before they receive certain federal funds. Now, not all science is clear, but this science is clear: schools need to reopen for in-person learning. The Centers for Disease Control recently published a study that argued that students can return to the classroom safely and immediately.

Webcams are poor substitutes for classrooms long-term, and the digital divide between American families who do and do not have access to reliable internet has caused many students to fall behind. For example, the number of students receiving grades D's and F's are up 200-300 percent in states like California and Virginia. Worse yet, as many as three million students were simply not enrolled in school this past fall at all. These issues predominantly fall on low-income children and minorities who can't afford to send their kids to private schools that offer in-person classes.

That's why going forward, addressing the long-term ramifications of that digital divide needs to be a top priority of this committee as well as helping more people access broadband internet so they can continue to live their lives, operate their businesses, and educate their children -- in reopened schools. I will look for ways to proactively force this issue in Congress, and I will always keep our student's best interests in mind.

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