On Friday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) slammed President Biden’s address targeting states that banned mask mandates, describing his efforts as “unconscionable.”
In an interview with “Fox & Friends,” Reynolds fired back at President Biden’s statements during his recent address where he attacked U.S. governors, like Reynolds, who’ve pushed back on mask mandates in schools ahead of the upcoming school year.
“Everything that this guy has going on, disaster at the border, disaster in Afghanistan, I think he should focus on doing his job and getting Americans out of Afghanistan and I’ll do mine,” Reynolds said in the segment.
As we’ve reported, states like Iowa, Texas, Florida, have banned mask mandates in schools and the development of vaccine passports. Biden’s address claimed that he will go after states that have done away with mask mandates, such as Iowa, who passed House File 847 and signed it into law this year, effectively banning mask mandates.
“I led the country in getting our kids back in school last year, and we were able to do it safely and responsibly, and our kids are better off for it,” Reynolds added. “All the while, he paid lip service to parents and families while cow tailing and placating to the teacher’s union and it’s unconscionable, unconscionable what he’s doing to these kids.”
Reynolds noted that she attended the Iowa State Fair this week, where parents and educators approached her continuously asking her to stand her ground when it comes to mask mandates in school imposed by the White House.
“I can’t even begin to tell you the number of parents and moms and teachers that have come up to me and said, ‘please, stay strong. Keep our kids in the classroom. Let us decide what’s best for my children. We know, we know their health. Please don’t reverse the ban on mask mandates,” Reynolds said in the interview.
Reynolds explained that the law was passed through the Iowa state legislature, making its way through the Iowa House and the Iowa Senate before the governor signed it. “This is something that Iowans support. We can do it safely and responsibly. I’ve been doing it for over a year.”
And, as many Americans were likely thinking during Biden’s address, Reynolds thinks that the president’s focus for the time being should be issues of national security, such as our ongoing border crisis and the current withdrawal in Afghanistan.
“He needs to do his job as Commander-in-Chief and focus on the national security that’s being threatened at the southern border and the crisis that’s happening in Afghanistan and get Americans home,” Reynolds stated.
Keep our kids in school”
— Kim Reynolds (@KimReynoldsIA) August 20, 2021
“Please don’t reverse the mask mandate”
That’s what I’ve heard all week from parents and teachers.
I’m going to hold strong. It’s unconscionable what Biden is doing to these kids, and I’m not going to let him intimidate Iowans. pic.twitter.com/Xreoheb7N9