CDC Director Rochelle Walensky was heard on leaked audio saying that guidance about masks in schools will not be changed.
An audio recording of Walensky’s comments from a closed-door House Energy and Commerce committee briefing was obtained by Reason magazine in which she was heard saying the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will not be changing its recommendation for all students to wear masks in the nation’s schools.
“The CDC provides guidance,” Walensky can be heard saying in the briefing held virtually on Tuesday. “Our guidance currently is that masking should happen in all schools right now.”
EXCLUSIVE: I obtained leaked audio of a private House subcommittee briefing in which CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said she has no plans to revise the agency’s masking guidance for schools. https://t.co/OPvSjxXxnq
— Robby Soave (@robbysoave) February 17, 2022
Reason editor Robby Soave noted that Walensky “acknowledged ‘limitations’ of data but said ‘the masks should still stay on.'”
Walensky was grilled about keeping masks in schools given deficiencies of the Arizona study and others. She acknowledged “limitations” of data but said “the masks should still stay on.”
— Robby Soave (@robbysoave) February 17, 2022
“Explain why we need to keep allowing school districts to impose a mask mandate on kids,” Rep. Gary Palmer (R–Ala.) asked Walensky.
“I will also say that guidance is just guidance, and all of these decisions, we’ve continued to say, have to be made at the local level,” she replied. “As cases come down dramatically, we have deferred our guidance to the local jurisdictions.”
It was bipartisan. Eshoo a Democrat, really got to the heart of the problem. pic.twitter.com/SzjZgwtLG7
— Robby Soave (@robbysoave) February 17, 2022
“What it boils down to is that the CDC feels no need to change school mask guidance. Walensky’s view is that if you don’t like this, your local officials should just do whatever,” Soave wrote in a tweet. “But the problem is that most areas controlled by Democrats feel utterly beholden to CDC guidance.”
“My question today, my one question, is Dr. Walensky, will you commit to update your guidance by Friday to allow children in person without the burden of masks?” asked Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R–Wash.)
According to Soave, Walensky “made no such commitment.”
Twitter users weighed in on Walensky’s comments.
glad we made all these vaccines so that we can all pretend like they never happened
— DL 138 (@DL_138) February 17, 2022
She might want to rethink that. What’s the scientific basis for the recommendation? There are plenty of masked and unmasked schools at this point. Why not analyze the data from each?
— Ryan Leonard (@ryanleo92881) February 17, 2022
“Follow the CDC guidance.”
CDC: “Do what you want to do.” pic.twitter.com/xN4adEEieh
— Stef Fanski (@Oh__Cleveland) February 17, 2022
Rank inability to lead.
— Trampas Smith (@TrampasSmith) February 17, 2022
It’s convenient to have someone tell you what to do so you can transfer responsibility and not make a decision that you have to stand on. “Just following orders”.
— — ConcernedCitizen 🍊 (@CZen001) February 17, 2022
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
- Dana Bash appears to want to crawl out of her own skin when Ramaswamy ‘goes there’ on J6 - December 7, 2023
- As Biden’s approval ratings decrease, students criticize administration for rebuilding border wall and support for Israel - November 12, 2023
- ‘They need to go!’ Scalise and McCarthy garner votes as 20 GOP ‘turncoats’ block Jim Jordan - October 17, 2023
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
