At today’s press briefing, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest had strong words for Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick over his earlier opposition to President Obama’s decree that public schools allow transgender students to use the bathroom and locker room facilities of their chosen, not biological, gender:
Whoa. Josh Earnest says Lt. Gov. Patrick's response to bathroom directive "Risk you take when you elect a right wing radio host to office"
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) May 13, 2016
"This does underscore the risk of electing a right-wing radio host to state wide public office" -Earnest on Lt. Gov. Patrick. Wow.
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) May 13, 2016
Earnest just did it again, saying administrations and teachers don't have time to argue with "right wing radio host" Lt. Gov. Patrick
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) May 13, 2016
Earnest went on to claim that the decree was merely “guidance” and not a threat of whitholding funding as Lt. Gov. Patrick had suggested earlier in the day:
https://twitter.com/jason_howerton/status/731180993793515520
Video here (the question and response on Lt. Gov. Patrick is right at the beginning):
.@PressSec on Transgender Students & Bathrooms. Watch the full briefing here: https://t.co/G7Xbm7VkiQhttps://t.co/Y6YWdOldVt
— CSPAN (@cspan) May 13, 2016
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Here’s Lt. Gov. Patrick making his case:
"This will be the end of public schools as we know it." Texas Lt. Gov @DanPatrick on new bathroom guidelines https://t.co/wVCQ1tSfmi
— Ashleigh Banfield (@TVAshleigh) May 13, 2016
Meanwhile, National Review’s David French called out Earnest for his “half-truth”:
At first I was going to call his statement a lie, but then I realized it was more like a half-truth. No, the letter is not a threat. That much is true. Instead, it’s a promise. As it clearly states, it represents the the administration’s existing interpretation of controlling law. This is how the administration will enforce Title IX. This is how the administration has enforced Title IX. In the event of complaints against a school district, the administration is declaring how it will respond.
And Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a statement telling President Obama “to prepare for yet another legal fight”:
President Obama trying to bully Texas schools and expand federal power again. https://t.co/59AkOAW3ej
— Texas Attorney General (@TXAG) May 13, 2016
“Once again, the Obama Administration has overstepped its constitutional bounds to meddle in the affairs of state and local government. Today’s announcement seeking to unilaterally redefine and expand federal law must be challenged. If President Obama thinks he can bully Texas schools into allowing men to have open access to girls in bathrooms, he better prepare for yet another legal fight.”
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Administration issues decree on transgender access in public schools; Texas Gov. defies His Majesty
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