Four House Republicans Urged Democrat Committee Leaders for a Bipartisan Effort to Examine Critical Issue
Earlier this month, a handful Congress members called for an investigation into the effects that school closures have caused students with disabilities. A letter issued by Reps. Steve Scalise, R-La., James Comer R-Ky., Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., relayed parental accounts of special education students falling behind developmentally, socially and academically since the beginning of the pandemic. Additionally, the four Republicans expressed concern that state and local school districts have been and continue to be out of compliance with federal special education law. In an attempt to make matters better, these Congress members are urging a bipartisan oversight request to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) to provide data related to experiences of special education schools that have reopened or special education students who are attending schools in person. The letter was sent to Reps. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., James Clyburn, D-S.C., Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., and Bobby Scott, D-Va., all of whom are Democrats and chair key House committees. An aide to Rep. Scott, who chairs the House Education and Labor Committee, reported that the congressmember is equally concerned about the impact the pandemic has had on students with disabilities. The aide further explained that Scott believes that the newly passed $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan which allocates $130 billion to safely reopen schools and includes $3 billion in new funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) is an excellent way to support students with disabilities.
