In a 50-50 party split, Senate Democrats shot down an amendment that would withhold taxpayer dollars from schools that refuse to reopen after teachers are vaccinated.
On Thursday afternoon, Senate Democrats nixed a Republican-led amendment to withhold federal dollars from schools that refused to open. The proposed amendment for the Democrats’ $1.9 trillion coronavirus bailout bill was a watered-down version of the “Put Students First Act of 2021,” which would prohibit federal funding to schools that do not provide an in-person learning option by the end of April.
The bill was introduced by eight Senate Republicans, including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL). In a press statement, Rubio said that Senate Democrats were engaging in a “partisan, anti-science charade” by withholding support from both the amendment and bill.