Republicans believe sustained outrage over the issue in California can make for a potent campaign message in November 2022 as they fight to retake the House and Senate, especially in the suburbs and among women, where the GOP lost significant ground during the Trump administration.
They’re betting closed classrooms will have staying power in those groups even after schools reopen. After all, they point out, other blue states like New York and Washington widely opened in-class instruction earlier than California, and many California private schools have found ways to bring students on campus for longer stretches than the state’s public schools.
“My wife and I have raised seven kids. Anyone who tells you this is over the second they go back in the classroom, they obviously don’t have kids or they’re lying to themselves,” Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minnesota, who chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee, told McClatchy.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member