President Joe Biden condemned protesters who abused doctors and nurses for arguing in favor of school mask mandates on Thursday as he ...
President Joe Biden condemned protesters who abused doctors and nurses for arguing in favor of school mask mandates on Thursday as he praised officials who were standing up to governors where such orders have been banned.
'This isn’t about politics,' he said at the White House. 'This is about keeping our children safe.'
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recent decision to urge all students and staff to wear masks regardless of vaccination status has caused confusion and political rows just before a new school year was due to start.
Several Republican states, including Florida and Texas, have moved to prevent schools issuing mask mandates, much to the consternation of health officials.
Biden said he was disturbed to watch video of doctors and nurses being harassed in Tennessee after they left a school board meeting where they had spoken in favor of mandatory masking.
'As they walked out, these doctors were threatened, these nurses were threatened,' he said.
'You know health care workers are heroes. They were the heroes when there was no vaccine.
'They are doing their best to care for the people refusing to get vaccinated, and unvaccinated folks are being hospitalized and dying as a result of not being vaccinated.'
President Biden said mandatory masks were not about politics but about keeping children safe in schools as he condemned protesters in Tennessee who abused health officials
Video shows disgruntled parents and anti-mask demonstrators harassing health care professionals and school board officials after the Williamson County Schools Board of Education voted to require masks for students, staff and visitors inside and on school premises
On Tuesday, the Williamson County Schools Board of Education voted to require masks inside buildings and buses, immediately resulting in backlash from irritated parents - one of whom being Outkick founder Clay Travis (pictured).
And he praised the mayors, school superintendents, educators and local leaders standing up to governors.
'Thank you. Thank God that we have heroes like you and I stand with you all. And America should as well'
Astonishing video footage showed how Tennessee anti maskers hurled abuse and threats at officials after Williamson County Schools Board voted to reinstate a mask mandate on Tuesday.
One enraged looking man roared: ‘We know who you are, you can live freely, but we will find you.'
Another protester was filmed shouting: 'There's a bad place in hell for you guys,'
As the delta variant contributes to an increase in COVID-19 cases throughout the nation, school officials fear masks are the only way to control the spread of the virus among children who are not yet eligible for vaccination.
Biden made his remarks before turning to the main subject of the day, setting out his plans to reduce the cost of prescription drugs.
Ahead of the speech, an official said it would be a 'forceful' message to Congress to deliver savings to millions of Americans by allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices.
At present, Medicare is allowed to negotiate prices for every other type of health except drug prices.
'Pharmaceutical companies do ground-breaking, life-saving work, but there is a difference between developing clinical breakthroughs and driving up prices for the drugs Americans rely on,' the White House said in a statement previewing Biden's remarks. 'Change is sorely needed.'
President Joe Biden will on Thursday outline plans to reduce the cost of prescription drugs and call on Congress to take action on cutting the spiralling price of life-saving medication
The White House handed its Twitter feed over to Gail, a diabetic mother, to highlight the high costs of prescription drugs
Biden wants to penalize drug companies if the price of their products rises faster than inflation.
He is also seeking a limit on the amount that Medicare beneficiaries pay out-of-pocket for drugs each year.
'These price savings would put money back in seniors’ pockets: a person taking an expensive cancer drug could see their out of pocket costs fall by at least $9,000 a year, and even seniors who don’t take expensive drugs could see their premiums cut,' said the White House.
Biden previewed some of the plans a day earlier.
My Build Back Better plan is going to lower prescription drug costs by finally giving Medicare the power to negotiate the prices of drug they purchase for the American people, saving Americans hundreds of billions of dollars,' he said.
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