Media Contact: Patrick Wright -- Patrick.Wright@mail.house.gov
Washington, D.C. — Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. wrote a letter to President Joe Biden yesterday to ask him to make sure school systems nationwide are reimbursed for their purchases of cloth masks to keep staff and students safe during the coronavirus public health crisis. The move comes after Rep. Payne, Jr.’s bill, the Masks for Students Act, passed the U.S. House of Representatives last year. That bill would require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to continue to reimburse states and school districts for cloth facial coverings during the coronavirus emergency period.
“If we want to re-open schools completely, we need to make sure they are safe,” said Rep. Payne, Jr. “Cloth masks are the best way to prevent Americans from catching the coronavirus or transmitting it to others. That is why we need to reimburse schools for mask purchases to support them for taking the actions necessary to protect staff and students. I would prefer they use that money for books and other materials to aid student instruction.”
The full letter is below.
February 11, 2021
The Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Biden:
We respectfully request that your administration ensures that school districts will be reimbursed for cloth face coverings during the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, school districts nationwide have been struggling to open safely and provide in-person instruction for students. One of the biggest hurdles to safely reopening is to make sure that schools do not become new vectors of transmission among students, faculty, and staff. The science is clear that a simple cloth face mask can help to reduce transmission, but such masks are only effective if worn by everyone.
Unfortunately, in September 2020, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that they would no longer reimburse school districts for cloth face coverings. This decision not only puts students and teachers at risk but will also raise costs on already-struggling local governments.
Introduced in the 116th Congress, the Masks for Students Act would require that FEMA continue to reimburse states and school districts for cloth facial coverings during the coronavirus emergency period. This bill was included in a larger COVID-19 relief bill that was unanimously reported out of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and unanimously passed in the U.S. House of Representatives.
As school districts begin the process of re-opening, cloth face coverings will be an effective measure in getting students safely into classrooms to continue their path to academic success. No student should be denied a mask because the Federal government refused to help states and school districts purchase them. We respectfully urge you to work with Congress to codify FEMA masks reimbursements.
Thank you for your attention, and we stand ready to work with you and your administration on this vital issue.
Sincerely,
Donald M. Payne, Jr. Tom Malinowski Albio Sires
Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress
Original source can be found here.
