Pence Says CDC Changing School Reopening Guidelines After Trump Called Them 'Tough And Expensive'

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Last edited Thu Jul 9, 2020, 09:38 AM - Edit history (3)

Source: USA Today

(By Maureen Groppe, 3 hrs ago). WASHINGTON - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is revising its guidance on reopening schools after President Donald Trump tweeted his disagreement with them, Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday. "The president said today we just don't want the guidance to be too tough," Pence said at a news conference at the U.S. Department of Education. "That's the reason why, next week, CDC is going to be issuing a new set of tools, five different documents that will be giving even more clarity on the guidance going forward."

Trump tweeted Wednesday that he disagrees with the CDC's "very tough & expensive guidelines for opening schools" as the coronavirus pandemic continues. "They are asking schools to do very impractical things," Trump tweeted. "I will be meeting with them!!!" He also threatened to withhold funding from schools that don't populate their classrooms this fall.

Asked about that threat, Pence said the administration wants to include "incentives for states to go forward" in the next federal stimulus package. "And as we work with Congress on the next round of state support, we're going to be looking for ways to give states a strong incentive and encouragement to get kids back to school," said Pence, the head of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

Most education funding comes from the state and local levels, but the federal government provides billions to schools through grants for low-income schools and special education programs...

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/pence-says-cdc-changing-school-reopening-guidelines-after-trump-called-them-tough-and-expensive/ar-BB16uG0k

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The president and first lady Melania Trump on Tuesday held a White House event intended to push local school districts to reopen in the fall. It provided a forum for teachers, administrators, students and parents to discuss "best practices" for safely reopening schools around the country.

The first lady urged parents, teachers and schools to inform children about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidelines on coronavirus at the start of the school year and to implement those guidelines when appropriate.

On Wednesday at the Education Department's news conference, CDC Director Robert Redfield said he wanted "to make it very clear" that the guidelines are intended to help schools reopen and are not "to be used as a rationale to keep schools closed."
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**UPDATE, Thursday, July 8, 2020 **

"CDC director says agency won't revise school reopening guidelines despite WH push," CNN, July 9, 2020.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/cdc-director-says-agency-wont-revise-school-reopening-guidelines-despite-wh-push/ar-BB16x5C6?liBBnb7Kz