Biden will issue memo to block Republican anti-mask efforts in schools
President Joe Biden plans to issue a memo to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona Wednesday to counter the Republican governors who have blocked mask mandates in their states.
"Some state governments have adopted policies and laws that interfere with the ability of schools and districts to keep our children safe during in-person learning, with some going as far as to try to block school officials from adopting safety protocols aligned with recommendations from the CDC," according to a fact sheet released by the White House Wednesday.
Biden's memo will ensure the department of education "is doing everything it can to prevent anything from standing in the way of local leaders and school leaders taking steps to keep all students safe in full-time, in-person learning, without compromising students' health or the health of their families or communities," the fact sheet continues.
![PHOTO: President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the coronavirus disease response and vaccination program during a speech in the East Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., Aug. 18, 2021.](https://s.abcnews.com/images/Politics/biden-presser_hpEmbed_20210818-172416_16x11_992.jpg)
In a press conference, the president had a blunt message for Republican governors who are banning school districts from requiring masks in schools: "If you aren't going to fight COVID-19, at least get out of the way of everyone else who is trying."
Biden said his administration is not going to "sit by as governors try to block and intimidate educators protecting children," and announced that he's directing Cardona to go as far as using legal action against these governors and that his administration will use COVID-19 relief funds to pay the salaries of educators who defy them.
-ABC News' Justin Gomez