President Trump Is Working To Give Students And Parents Flexibility And Schools The Support They Need To Reopen This Fall
ENCOURAGING SCHOOLS TO REOPEN SAFELY: President Trump is taking action to ensure schools safely reopen in the fall and empower parents to make decisions about their children’s education.
· President Trump is calling for legislation to ensure that schools have the funding and incentives they need to safely reopen this fall, and empower families with school choice.
· To encourage schools to make in-person classes available this fall, the President is requesting $105 billion in education funding as part of the next coronavirus relief bill—$70 billion of which will directly support K-12 education. Approximately $35 billion of the $70 billion will be reserved for schools that reopen.
· If schools do not reopen, funding should follow students so parents can send their child to the private, charter, religious, or home school of their choice.
PROVIDING FLEXIBILITY TO PARENTS: Parents should be given the flexibility to choose what option is best for the wellbeing of their child and family.
· It is vital that parents be allowed to weigh both the benefits and risks of sending their child back to school, including the level of community spread and the makeup of their household, especially for multi-generational households.
PRIORITIZING THE WELFARE OF OUR NATION’S CHILDREN: Failure to offer in-person classes could harm students’ development, especially those in disadvantaged communities.
Nationwide, nearly 30 million American students rely on schools for free or reduced meals.
More than 70% of children receiving mental health services do so at school, and nearly all therapies for children with intellectual or physical disabilities are performed at school.
To view more information, click HERE.
President Trump Is Leading Unprecedented Efforts to Combat the Coronavirus and Save Lives
President Trump is delivering needed support to hot spot states across the country.
· President Trump has aggressively responded to growing cases in hot spot states, surging personnel, testing, and therapeutics to areas in need.
· The Trump Administration currently has zero unfilled requests for equipment from governors.
· In recent weeks, the President has sent seniors officials to meet with State leaders in hot spot areas and provide recommendations to combat the virus.
· Nearly 7,000 National Guard and military medical personnel are deployed in Texas, California, Florida, and Arizona.
President Trump will stop at nothing to save lives and protect vulnerable Americans.
· As we’ve seen, elderly Americans and those with pre-existing conditions are especially vulnerable to the virus.
· In one study, 90% of those hospitalized had underlying medical conditions.
· Young adults often have mild or no symptoms.
· The President has urged Americans to continue wearing masks, social distancing, and protecting the vulnerable.
To view more information, click HERE.
President Trump Expands Operation Legend to Restore Law and Order
President Trump expanded Operation Legend in order to restore law and order in cities plagued by violence.
Through the expansion of Operation Legend, federal agents and other resources have been surged to communities troubled with an increase in violence.
The Trump Administration is committed to restoring public safety and bringing criminals to justice.
This week’s action is another step towards President Trump’s promise to protect Americans from violence and improve community safety.
While the radical left wants to defund our police, President Trump wants to give them the support they need to keep our communities safe.
To view more information, click HERE.
Action Item: PREVENTS and Census Faith-Based Weekend (7/24-26)
This weekend, our Center for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives at the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Commerce have two great initiatives and we wanted to make sure to share them with you. If you are interested in getting involved in either, please follow the links below.
PREVENTS Faith Based Weekend
Faith-based communities play a particularly important role in preventing suicide and they are important partners in the suicide prevention initiative. Join us to start the national conversation on suicide prevention by discussing suicide prevention and REACH in your sermons and community discussions this weekend of July 24 – 26 (attached are brief talking points and background). Please e-mail weareprevents@va.gov if you plan to participate with other faith-based communities in the suicide prevention Faith-Based Weekend. Attached is a toolkit for background info and very brief slides to share with your faith-based community. Take the pledge: HERE (scroll to the bottom of page).
Census Worship Weekend
Faith leaders play an integral role in spreading the word about why responding to the Census is easy, safe, and important. Last week, the Census released an updated faith communities weekend of action guide. You can help to encourage your community to fill out the Census by posting on social media, including Census as part of the agenda for a virtual event, or focusing outreach in areas that have lower self-response. There is also a YouTube playlist with all of the faith-based content released over the 2020 Census campaign, including the "Everyone Counts" VeggieTales video. We welcome you to share the links to the updated faith communities action guide and YouTube playlist with your communities over the weekend of action. Feel free to reach out to JPughe@doc.gov if you have questions or want to get involved in Census 2020.
As always, we welcome you to share this information with your networks and communities. Have a blessed and healthy weekend.
Sincerely,
Amanda Robbins
Associate Director
White House Office of Public Liaison