Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy (R) on Monday slammed President Joe Biden's continual flip-flopping on whether or not schools across the country should reopen.
"There's nothing more important we can do for the future of this country. The future of this country is education. It's not the price of oil. It's not the unemployment rate. It's not who the president is. It's education," he explained on "America's Newsroom."
The Senate finance committee member pointed out that Congress has allocated more than $70 million for schools to reopen. Of that, only $4 million has actually been spent.
"Why are we giving them hundreds of millions of dollars more?" Kennedy asked rhetorically.
In Louisiana, 70 percent of school-aged kids are going to school in-person. But when the numbers are looked at across the country, that number plummets. Only 40 percent of the nation's children are physically going to campus.
"President Biden – and I've used this expression before but I can't think of a better one – he has flip-flopped on this issue like a banked catfish," Kennedy said. "He needs to call a press conference this afternoon and look our school leaders in the eye and say, 'By God, open your schools!'"
The senator warned that without school, the next generation of American children "will be lost."
There’s nothing more important that we can do—for the future of this country—than open schools.
— John Kennedy (@SenJohnKennedy) February 24, 2021
President Biden has flip-flopped on this issue like a banked catfish, and a generation of kids is at risk here. pic.twitter.com/dgxTlLwuf1
The Biden administration has been afraid to speak out and tell teachers to go back to school. The reason: the powerful teachers' unions. Despite health care experts saying COVID vaccines aren't needed in order for teachers to return to the classroom, educators are drawing a line in the sand. They're saying it's not safe to return until everyone is vaccinated.
We were told to "follow the science" when it comes to wearing masks and practice social distancing. But apparently, that logic doesn't apply to vaccinations and school reopenings.