Statement by Vice President Joe Biden on Furloughs in the Scranton School District

Educators across Pennsylvania have worked incredibly hard throughout the pandemic to ensure that students can keep their education on track and parents can get back to work. Unfortunately, President Trump has abandoned them at a moment when they need strong, empathetic leadership the most. Trump not only refused to prioritize the health and safety of students and educators in Pennsylvania throughout this crisis — he intentionally misled Americans on the gravity of the virus for his own political gain. And now, his failure to deliver adequate state and local fiscal relief funding has hit home in Scranton, where over 200 school district employees are being furloughed and stripped of their medical benefits.

Educators are public servants who have made ensuring our children’s success their life’s mission. Teaching is not just what they do, it’s who they are. They deserve a president who will lift them up in challenging moments and give them the resources they need, not leave them to fend for themselves. As President, I will get the virus under control and put in place a set of national guidelines to empower state and local officials to reopen their schools safely and free of political interference. I will also deliver state and local fiscal relief so we can keep Scranton’s educators, firefighters, and other public servants on the job, and additional emergency funding so Scranton’s schools can reopen safely.