House Republicans threaten teachers union head with subpoena over COVID-19 school closure docs

The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic has warned American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten that she may face a congressional subpoena should the AFT fail to comply with its requests for documents related to COVID-19 school closures.

Specifically, the committee is seeking communications between Weingarten, the AFT, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention related to the agency's guidance on reopening schools. They further seek to understand what influence Weingarten and her group may have had on the agency in that matter.

"Despite our continued and repeated reasonable accommodations, AFT continues to frustrate the Select Subcommittee’s investigation. Unless an agreement can be reached soon, we will be forced to consider the use of compulsory process," Chairman Brad Wenstrup wrote in a Tuesday letter to AFT Counsel Michael Bromwich.

Wenstrup expressed a willingness to accommodate the AFT in order to secure voluntary cooperation, saying the committee would withdraw its request to interview Weingarten now, "without waiving any rights to seek her interview or testimony at a future date if needed."

"As you know, Congress’ oversight authority is 'broad' and 'indispensable,'" he stated. "The only limit placed on this authority is a valid legislative purpose. Congressional investigators are not precluded from seeking follow up records should new information come to light, nor are they limited to unilateral relevance determinations made by a witness."

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.