Democrat Rep. Admits His Party Was Afraid of the Teachers Union [WATCH]

Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Democrat, acknowledged Monday that the influence of teachers unions was a key factor in his party’s position on school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Moskowitz made the comments during an interview on “The Chuck ToddCast.”

The extended closure of schools during the pandemic led to significant learning setbacks for students, particularly in core subjects such as math and English.

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Moskowitz told host Chuck Todd that he had urged fellow Democrats to support reopening schools, but his advice was ignored.

“I was telling my Democratic colleagues like, ‘Guys, read the data.’ Like I would sit at a conference table with the governor,” Moskowitz said.

“We’d be reading the data from Denmark and Germany and Europe because they were ahead of us. And it was clear it wasn’t spreading in the schools.”

He recalled warning his colleagues that school reopening would be widely supported by parents.

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“I said to my Democratic colleagues, I’m like, ‘When we open schools, it’s going to be very popular. When you guys come out and tell parents you want to keep their kids in the house for another year, I’m telling you this is where this is going.’ And none of my colleagues wanted to hear it, Chuck,” Moskowitz said.

When asked by Todd if resistance to reopening was influenced by teachers unions, Moskowitz responded, “It’s part teachers union.”

He added that partisan divisions also played a role in Democratic resistance to reopening schools.

“Part also, we were at a point of polarization that if DeSantis wanted to open schools then I had to be against it … things had become so toxic at that point,” Moskowitz said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, was one of the earliest critics of prolonged lockdowns, mask mandates, and school closures.

Florida began reopening in early May 2020, making it one of the first states to ease restrictions.

DeSantis frequently argued that classrooms should remain open and that the risks to children were minimal compared to the educational and social costs of school closures.

The teachers unions were vocal in their opposition to reopening schools.

In July 2020, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten warned that the union would back “safety strikes” if its demands for additional health measures were not met.

In July 2021, she went further, claiming that DeSantis’ position on reopening schools would kill “millions” of people.

Moskowitz also used the interview to comment on Florida’s political landscape, suggesting the state is firmly Republican for the foreseeable future.

He said the pandemic was a turning point in reshaping voter registration and party loyalty in Florida.

“Now there are 1.2 million more registered Republicans. It’s starting to get to a point that it’s not recoverable, at least not in the short term,” he told Todd.

“But I think COVID was a big piece of it … We’re 35 years into Republican rule. We may be here for another 70.”

Moskowitz’s remarks highlight both the influence of teachers unions during the pandemic and the broader political impact of COVID-19 policy debates in Florida.

The comments also reflect ongoing divisions over how school closures were handled and the consequences for students and families across the state.