Florida's Republican Governor, Ron DeSantis, is a likely contender for the GOP's 2024 presidential nomination if former President Donald Trump decides not to run.
As such, DeSantis has embraced a host of Trump's positions, including the reckless rejection of virtually all public safety guidelines designed to curb the spread of a pandemic that's killed over 600 thousand Americans.
In addition to reopening Florida early on in the pandemic, the Governor signed legislation to block private businesses and local governments from requiring vaccinations. In one of his most recent controversial moves, DeSantis has banned schools from enforcing mask mandates, even after Florida recently broke its all time record in daily new cases and leads the population in hospitalizations for the virus.
The Delta variant of the virus has sent cases skyrocketing, especially among children, who previously demonstrated less susceptibility to the original strain. Because children under 12 are not yet eligible to be vaccinated, some school boards have vowed to defy the Governor and enforce mask mandates anyway.
To that, DeSantis floated withholding their compensation.
In a recent White House briefing, Press Secretary Jen Psaki slammed DeSantis' continued bulwark against public safety, and let school board officials in Florida know they have an ally in Washington.
Watch below.
Psaki said:
"If you are not interested in following the public health guidelines to protect the lives of people in your state, to give parents some comfort as they're sending their kids to school ... then get out of the way and let public officials, let local officials do their jobs to keep students safe."
She went on to suggest that the federal government could compensate school board officials if DeSantis refuses to pay them.
WH Press Sec. Jen Psaki hints at using federal funds in response to Gov. Ron DeSantis' (R-FL) financial penalties for school officials who defy ban on mask mandates:
"Certainly paying for salaries could be a part of that … we're looking at a range of options …" pic.twitter.com/4MWsQgU1M2
— The Recount (@therecount) August 10, 2021
She elaborated:
"In the American Rescue Plan, allocation or, in the guidelines or in the parameters for how that money could be spent, certainly paying for salaries is a part of that, or could be a part of that and could cover those needs for these officials."
People supported her comments.
People appeared to support compensation for the school board officials as well.
DeSantis has vowed to fight back "vociferously" against federal intervention.
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