GOP probe fails to prove teachers union influence on CDC guidance, Democrats say

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Jul 31, 2023 View in browser   By Bianca Quilantan Presented by Sallie Mae® QUICK FIX AFT IN THE CLEAR? — Despite a lengthy investigation, Republicans still can’t prove one of the nation’s largest teachers unions had undue influence over the Biden administration’s school reopening guidance, Democratic staff said in a memo obtained by POLITICO. — The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic’s four-month probe over alleged political interference has included reviewing more than 3,000 pages of documents, conducting six hours of transcribed interviews with senior American Federation of Teachers staff members and holding public hearings about the school reopening guidance. One was with AFT President Randi Weingarten and another with then-CDC Director Rochelle Walensky. — “I think Republicans on this committee are exasperated because they can't get to the conclusion they want. There's no evidence to support the story they're trying to create,” said Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), a member of the select subcommittee, in an interview. “Randi is a respected education leader … and they just want to attack working people and the teachers that she represents.” AFT President Randi Weingarten | Mariam Zuhaib/AP Photo — GOP lawmakers have honed in on Weingarten’s statements at a hearing earlier this year where she testified she had a direct phone number for Walensky. They have sought to investigate whether Weingarten and her group had undue influence over the CDC’s reopening guidance. — But the Democratic staff memo sent to members last week found that the CDC “consulted a wide range of stakeholders before AFT was even aware” of the guidance. The agency consulted about 50 organizations while developing its guidance, did not invite AFT to a forum to help preview the guidance, and AFT received a draft of the guidance seven days after CDC sent complete draft guidance to several other groups for feedback. AFT also testified that it learned about the draft guidance from The New York Times. — “The right wing’s contorted attempt to blame educators and their unions for the effects of pandemic was both wrong on the facts and a callous undermining of the very people who tried to help children and families in their darkest hour,” Weingarten told POLITICO in a statement. “Rather than playing political games, the majority should be focused on helping us address learning loss, literacy and loneliness—the strategy I outlined … in DC.” Read more from your host.  IT’S MONDAY, JULY 31. WELCOME TO WEEKLY EDUCATION. Let’s catch up over coffee. Reach me at bquilantan@politico.com. Send tips to my colleagues Mackenzie Wilkes at mwilkes@politico.com, Juan Perez Jr. at jperez@politico.com and Michael Stratford at mstratford@politico.com. And follow us on Twitter: @Morning_Edu and @POLITICOPro. A message from Sallie Mae®: Borrowing should never be the first option for lower-income and historically marginalized students, yet the federal financial aid system is poorly designed to avoid it. Learn about Sallie Mae’s recommendations to help more students responsibly access and complete higher education.   Driving the Week Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is the first governor to issue a “Women’s Bill of Rights" through an executive order. | AP Photo EXCLUSIVE: OKLAHOMA’S ‘WOMEN’S BILL OF RIGHTS’ — Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) on Tuesday is expected to sign an executive order issuing a “Women’s Bill of Rights,” which would make his state the fourth in the country to define “sex” in state law as a person’s sex assigned at birth. — Stitt is the first governor to pursue this through an executive order. Kansas and Tennessee were the first to adopt “Women’s Bill of Rights” legislation, which is based on Independent Women’s Voice draft legislation, and Montana cleared a similar law that defined sex. Representatives from Independent Women’s Voice, including Riley Gaines, an adviser for the group and a former University of Kentucky swimmer, are expected to attend Tuesday’s signing ceremony. — Republican lawmakers have been moving to define what it means to be a “woman” in state law by a person’s reproductive biology at birth. Meanwhile, LGBTQ activists have pushed back, arguing that the legislation seeks to legally erase transgender women from state law. — “Biological differences must be respected in the law to ensure female-only spaces have a future," Gaines said in a statement. "Establishing common language by way of the Women’s Bill of Rights is a way of saying enough is enough: Oklahoman women deserve equal opportunity, privacy, and safety, and this order will help deliver it.”   YOUR TICKET INSIDE THE GOLDEN STATE POLITICAL ARENA: California Playbook delivers the latest intel, buzzy scoops and exclusive coverage from Sacramento and Los Angeles to Silicon Valley and across the state. Don't miss out on the daily must-read for political aficionados and professionals with an outsized interest in California politics, policy and power. Subscribe today.     Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You’ll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day’s biggest stories. The MINI Q&A ONE-ON-ONE WITH GLSEN’S NEW LEADER — In 2022, Melanie Willingham-Jaggers became the first person of color, first nonbinary person and first Black woman to lead GLSEN, a national group that supports LGBTQ students in K-12 schools. They took the helm during a time when schools have been caught in the crossfires of the culture wars and as Republican lawmakers across the country have aimed to restrict access to lessons and books about LGBTQ people in the classroom. Here are their thoughts on the pushback K-12 schools are facing on LGBTQ issues: This transcript has been edited for length and clarity. MORNING EDUCATION: GLSEN has been a presence for LGBTQ youth in K-12 schools for more than three decades. You’ve mentioned to me that GLSEN is ready to be more vocal than before. Why now? MELANIE WILLINGHAM-JAGGERS: One of the two main political parties in this country has literally chosen to tag its political future and its fortunes to attacks on LGBTQ+ people, specifically transgender and nonbinary people. … This radicalized, extreme party has decided that anyone supporting schools or youth or queer people are their main enemy. What we understand at GLSEN is that we are both needed now more than ever, and also going to be subject to increased political attack. ME: Why do you believe there is such an intense focus on rebuking LGBTQ curriculum and books in K-12 schools right now? MW: Our opposition knows what works. They are attacking the four core supports: educators, curriculum, supportive policies and GSAs and other student clubs where young people can practice leadership. They are attacking those things precisely because these are supports that help young people stay in schools and they don't actually want a future that includes LGBTQ+ people, and that's why they are targeting LGBTQ+ children. ME: Language around transgender people has been a big part of the national conversation lately. But sometimes it seems to get bungled by even people who support transgender rights. What are your thoughts on this? MW: The anti-trans language based in junk science has so thoroughly permeated our current society-wide conversation about trans people, that even those friendly to us on this issue are using language of the opposition or using harmful language or using junk science even if they're arguing against it. That is a critical problem of this moment, and it shows how much ground has been ceded to junk science and hateful language. It's crept into our vernacular.   A message from Sallie Mae®:   Student Loans ICYMI: WHITE HOUSE CUTS DEFICIT FORECAST — The White House on Friday lowered its forecast for the federal budget deficit for this year due to reduced spending on student loans after the Supreme Court struck down the president’s debt relief plan. The Office of Management and Budget said it expected that the Supreme Court’s rejection of student debt relief would reduce federal spending by $259 billion this year, our Michael Stratford reports. — The Biden administration last year estimated that its student loan forgiveness would cost $379 billion over the lifetime of the program. The administration booked those costs in the 2022 fiscal year. The spending reduced by the court’s decision to invalidate debt relief was “partially offset” this year by the increased costs associated with Biden’s new income-driven repayment plan, OMB said. MOVERS AND SHAKERS — The National School Transportation Association elected new board officers at its annual convention in Pittsburgh. Dan Kobussen will serve as president, Patrick Dean is the new president-elect, Kim Worster was elected vice president/secretary and Bradley Krapf is treasurer.   HITTING YOUR INBOX AUGUST 14—CALIFORNIA CLIMATE: Climate change isn’t just about the weather. It's also about how we do business and create new policies, especially in California. So we have something cool for you: A brand-new California Climate newsletter. It's not just climate or science chat, it's your daily cheat sheet to understanding how the legislative landscape around climate change is shaking up industries across the Golden State. Cut through the jargon and get the latest developments in California as lawmakers and industry leaders adapt to the changing climate. Subscribe now to California Climate to keep up with the changes.     Syllabus — A DeSantis come-from-behind win is looking vanishingly unlikely: POLITICO — School will pay $9.1 million to settle lawsuit over a student’s suicide: The New York Times — DeSantis rocked by Black Republican revolt over slavery comments: POLITICO — D.C. public schools slashed tech budget ahead of new school year: The Washington Post — Vice President Kamala Harris makes surprise visit to Roxbury Community College: The Boston Globe A message from Sallie Mae®: The federal higher education financing system allows too many families to borrow more than they can reasonably afford to repay. We need a simpler, more transparent federal higher education financing system. Sallie Mae supports meaningful and lasting reforms including expanding need-based Pell Grants and providing more transparency around the true cost of college to limit over-borrowing. We should also recognize and promote non-traditional paths to higher education that connect to in-demand careers at a fraction of the cost of a traditional college degree. Learn more.     Follow us on Twitter Delece Smith-Barrow @DeleceWrites Michael Stratford @mstratford Bianca Quilantan @biancaquilan Juan Perez Jr. @PerezJr Mackenzie Wilkes @macwilkes   Follow us

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