The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Dems try to push school funding, wage increase
House Democrats are muscling past Republicans on major portions of an administration pandemic plan.
House Democrats on Tuesday muscled past Republicans on major portions of President Joe Biden’s pandemic plan, including a proposed $130 billion in additional relief to help the nation’s schools reopen and a gradual increase of the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.
Democrats on the Education and Labor Committee say schools won’t be able to reopen safely until they get an infusion of federal funding to repair building ventilation systems, buy protective equipment and take other steps recommended by federal health officials. The plan faces opposition from Republicans who want to tie new school funding to reopening.
The panel met Tuesday to craft its portion of a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package that tracks with Biden’s plan for battling the pandemic and reviving a still staggering economy. Democrats hope to rush the bill to Biden for his signature by mid-March, using a special budget-related process allowing certain legislation to be approved by a simple majority.
Biden has made reopening most of the nation’s K-8 schools within his first 100 days in office a key goal. The issue has become increasingly heated as some school districts face gridlock with teachers who have refused to support reopening until their demands are met. Biden’s plan for $130 billion in school funding is in addition to $84 billion in previous relief packages.
In a tweak to Biden’s plan, the Democratic proposal would require schools to reserve at least 20% of the funding for efforts to address learning loss, including after-school programs and summer classes. The bill also matches Biden’s proposed $40 billion for colleges and universities but, unlike the White House plan, makes private colleges eligible for relief.
Democrats also tucked in a new limit on for-profit colleges that the party has pushed for years. The proposal would prevent for-profit colleges from accepting more than 90% of their overall funding from federal sources. An existing federal law includes that cap for some federal sources but excludes funding from the GI Bill and other veterans programs.
Republicans blasted the legislation in its entirety, saying schools have already received billions in aid and are safe to reopen. They cited data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing that social distancing and wearing a mask significantly reduce the spread of the virus in school settings.
The $350 billion portion of the bill before the committee also includes Biden’s plan to raise the minimum wage from $7.25, where is has been since 2009. The proposal calls for gradual increases that would reach $15 over five years. It faces an uphill climb, however, and even Biden has said it likely won’t survive.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters Tuesday that Democrats were trying to overcome a potential procedural obstacle that could prevent them from including the wage increase in the COVID-19 relief bill.
Under Senate rules, provisions cannot be included in the special procedure Democrats are using if the language’s impact on the budget is only secondary to its main thrust. It is up to the chamber’s nonpartisan parliamentarian to determine that, though it would be possible for Democrats to vote to ignore that ruling.
The fast-track process Democrats are using would let them prevent a GOP filibuster.
DEAR DR. ROACH »
I have had pernicious anemia for about eight years and must have an injection of vitamin B-12 every three weeks to stay alive. I am also a diabetic for over 10 years, with my A1C remaining in the 6.1-6.5 range over that time. My daily glucose level reading is very sensitive, almost overly so, to levels of stress in my life. Do you feel there could be any relationship between the pernicious anemia condition and my A1C? Because of the rarity of my condition (pernicious anemia), there seems to be very little, if any, research of its impact on various medical issues.
— G.P.
DEAR READER » Pernicious anemia is not such a rare condition. It is an autoimmune disease where the body attacks cells that make acid in the stomach. Those cells also make a protein called intrinsic factor, which is necessary for efficient vitamin B-12 absorption. Without B-12, the body cannot make blood cells effectively, causing the anemia, but severe cases can cause damage to the nerves. Pernicious anemia is diagnosed now by finding the antibodies to intrinsic factor, and is treated by giving B-12 by injection, usually once a month, although a single injection in theory lasts much longer. B-12 can be absorbed orally if given in highenough doses. A surprising number of my patients prefer shots, even though oral treatment is just as effective.
The hemoglobin A1C looks at the amount of sugar on the hemoglobin molecule. Hemoglobin is the major oxygen-carrying protein of the blood. Conditions that affect the life of the red blood cell will affect the A1C. However, this is much more a factor in people with other types of anemias, such as sickle cell disease. In that case, checking many blood sugars and looking at the average may be a more effective way of monitoring diabetes. Treated pernicious anemia should not affect the A1C.
DEAR DR. ROACH » Six days ago, my father had bypass surgery. Coughing with phlegm started on the day after the surgery and it hasn’t stopped yet. Right now, it is even worse than it was in the beginning. Is this normal? Usually my father smokes a lot and even after surgery he is smoking about 10 cig- arettes a day. Can smoking be the cause of coughing? In several articles I read that coughing after surgery is normal but that it lasts for only a few days. My father is still coughing six days after surgery. This is why I’m worried.
— D.A.
DEAR READER » Smoking can indeed be the cause of coughing, but coughing after surgery is sometimes a result of serious complications, such as partial lung collapse or pneumonia. A call or visit with the surgeon’s office would be a good idea.