Kamala Harris pushes for $20B in infrastructure funding to go to electric school buses
Kamala Harris spoke during a tour of Thomas Built Buses, Monday, April 19, 2021, in High Point, N.C. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
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UPDATED 12:00 PM PT – Tuesday, April 20, 2021
As schools struggle to pick up the pieces from Democrat-led lockdown orders, Kamala Harris seems to have different priorities.
During a photo-op at a bus manufacturing plant in North Carolina on Monday, Harris claimed school buses are not only an issue for so-called climate change, but a public health threat.
Kamala Harris toured Thomas Built Buses, Monday, April 19, 2021, in High Point, N.C. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
“Pre-COVID, 25 million children a day in America go to school on a school bus, and in inhaling those fumes and they are toxic fumes,” Harris said. “So when we think about this as a public health issue, it absolutely is one.”
She added, 20 billion taxpayer dollars from Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan is just the beginning of her agenda to fight so-called climate change.
“As it relates specifically to electric school buses, the American jobs, and dedicates $20 billion to getting to the point where we can electrify all school buses,” Harris stated. “But it’ll be a very significant step toward that end.”
According to the Public School Review, the biggest problems schools are facing include classrooms overflowing, students living in poverty, outdated technology for learning, bullying, lack of parent involvement, obesity and funding cuts.
This year, the Build America’s Infrastructure Coalition is urging the Biden administration to prioritize fixing crumbling buildings, address learning loss from Democrat-led lockdown orders and increase funding for student mental health programs.
Speaking during an interview on Thursday, Holly Stipes, a language arts teacher from Issaquah School District in Washington, highlighted the issues facing the district. These issues include a lack of federal funds and lockdown mandates, which have contributed to a $36.7 million deficit for the current school year.
“Please, get creative in how you want to solve this problem,” Stripes stated. “Because the numbers that I see really show me that the board does not value the mental health of not only our students, but our employees.”
At least 300 employees, including counselors, coaches and food service workers, will likely be laid off in the next few weeks, and 400 students are expected to leave next year.
Critics have said Democrats are growing further out of touch with issues important to Americans.
As teachers air their grievances, they can rest easy knowing Kamala Harris is handing public schools $20 billion, not to address those issues, but to make their school buses “climate friendly.”