Earlier this week, Joe Biden made an effort to distance himself from some statement that his own White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki made earlier in the week.
During a press conference, Psaki was asked about opening up schools once again based on a promise that Biden made to reopen them in the first 100 days of his taking office. Now it looks like they're claiming to open school for only one day per week.
Seriously...what's the point?
The goal has been openly criticized and deemed to be unambitious as many schools across the country have already made the decision to open up before Biden even took his position in office.
But Biden at a CNN town hall Tuesday night said that Psaki was not correct in saying that having half of schools open one day per week -- essentially getting schools 10% open overall -- is the White House's goal for the end of its first 100 days.
"No, that's not true. That's what was reported; that's not true. There was a mistake in the communication," he said. "But what I -- what I'm talking about is I said opening the majority of schools in K-through-eighth grade because they're the easiest to open, the most needed to be opened, in terms of the impact on children and families having to stay home."
"I think we'll be close to that at the end of the first hundred days," Biden said of elementary and middle schools.
Biden did not specifically say what his definition of an open K-8 school at the end of his first 100 days would be. But he did say that schools may be open over the summer to help make up for lost learning for students -- a comment that also contradicted Psaki.
There is also a running theory that the administration is doing everything in its power in attempts to avoid causing any sort of upset for teacher unions. This is due to the fact that they are quite a substantial force within the Democratic Party.
Not only that, but they have expressed concern regarding the reopening plans as they feel it could be detrimental rather than helpful.
Biden specifically called out Psaki and stated that her comment about wanting to have a large percentage of schools open at least once a week was not actual a goal held by him or the current administration.
Psaki was even challenged by a reporter about being inconsistent with what they've been saying in regards to school opening back up.
Sources:
Fox News
