The House Committee on Labor and Education is holding a hearing on the topic of reopening schools amid the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday — about a week after Democrats on the committee said the White House blocked health officials from testifying during the hearing.
Last Friday, CNN and Politico reported that Democrats' request to have CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield testify at the hearing was denied by the White House.
"Dr. Redfield has testified on the Hill at least four times over the last three months. We need our doctors focused on the pandemic response," an email from the White House to committee members read, according to CNN.
Democrats claim that their request was for any high-ranking CDC official, not just Redfield.
No Trump administration officials are testifying at Thursday's hearing. That includes Education Sec. Betsy DeVos, and members of the Coronavirus Task Force like Drs. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx.
According to the Committee's website, witnesses include Michael Hinojosa, the Superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District; Leslie Boggs, the president of the National Parent Teacher Association; Dr. Penny Schwinn, the Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Education and Dr. Sean O'Leary, the Vice Chair of the Committee on Infectious Diseases at the American Academy of Pediatrics.
