WATCH: House Oversight hearing on closures of schools during COVID-19 pandemic

The House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a hearing to “examine the consequences of COVID-19 school closures on student development and the role federal health agencies and teachers’ unions played in school closure decisions,” according to the committee press release.

Watch the hearing in the player above.

“Preparing our education system to effectively address a future pandemic starts with holding our federal health agencies accountable for any and all errors made, especially inexplicable mistakes. The decision to close schools, in response to COVID-19, proved harmful for students’ academic, mental, physical, and social success,” Select Subcommittee Chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) said.

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“We need to fully investigate whether government officials placed the best interests of our nation’s children first when making these decisions. I look forward to working with my colleagues on a bipartisan basis to conduct a fair investigation and deliver the truth about school closures. American students and families deserve these answers.”