than usual to accommodate members socially distanced moving in and out of the chambers. at about five: 30, the newly elected house speaker addresses the members followed by the swearing in of members. watch our live coverage on andan, c-span2, c-span.org listen on the c-span radio app. >> you are watching c-span your unfiltered view of government. c-span was greeted by america's cable television companies in 1989. today, we are brought to you by these companies, who bring c-span as a public service. morning onp this washington journal, julia concernednd the veterans for america discuss

their priorities. discusses how the pandemic is impacting america's schools. jonas. -- join us. washington journal is next. ♪ host: good morning and welcome to washington journal. millions of doses of the coronavirus vaccine are now being distributed because the united states -- across the united states to fight the covid pandemic, with almost 3 million people having already received their first dose. then number falls far below the 20 million people the government wanted vaccinated by the end of 2020. states are running into different problems with the vaccine rollout, like funding and the availability of the drug. our question.

when it is available for you, will you get a covid vaccine this year? if your answer is yes, we want to hear from you at (202) 748-8000. don'tr answer is no, you plan to get a covid-19 vaccine this year, we want to hear from you at (202) 748-8001. if you have already received it, we want to know about your experience with the covid vaccine. if you have already been .accinated, (202) 748-8002 you can always text us your answer at (202) 748-8003. we are always reading on social @cspanwj andtter on facebook at facebook.com/c-span. we want to know about your experience and lands with the covid vaccine -- and plans with the covid vaccine this year. on tuesday, joe biden outlined

the challenges the vaccination efforts are facing and steps his administration plans to take. here's what president-elect biden had to say. [video clip] biden: the administration will spare no effort to make sure people get vaccinated. i have laid out three challenges in our first 100 days. that 100em, ensuring million shots have been administered by the end of the first 100 days. congress provides the funding -- if congress provides the funding, we will be able to meet this goal. the five to six times the current pace to one million shots per day. even with that improvement, even if we boost the speed to one million shots today, there will still take months to have a majority of the population vaccinated. directed my team to

prepare a much more aggressive effort with more federal involvement and leadership to get things on track. we will find a way to boost the pace of vaccinations, but as dr. fauci and others have stated these past due days, this will take more time. this is going to be the greatest operational challenge we have ever faced as a nation, but we are going to get it done. it will take a vast new effort. it is not yet underway. host: there have been stories going around about how the covid vaccine is being accepted by people around the country. the new york times has a story --s morning that talks about story earlier this week that talks about the number of people with the covid vaccine and what they are thinking about it. "ever since the race to develop a vaccine began, upbeat

announcements were stopped by ominous polls. growing numbers of people said they would refuse to get the shot. the timeframe was accelerated, people warned. the vaccine was a scam, other said. -- internet post-apocalyptic also with apocalyptic predictions from opponents, who decried the new shot is the the enemy of as every concern they had ever put forth. but over the past few weeks, attitudes are shifting." we want to know from you whether -- whether you plan to get the covid vaccine this year. let's get to our phone lines. let's start with kate, calling from chico, california.

kate says no, she does not plan to get the vaccine. good morning. caller: good morning. host: you don't plan to get the vaccine? why not? caller: because i think it was rushed through. i don't think they did enough trials. i might wait a year. i have hiv. my doctor advised me not to put a live virus into my body, so i road, butit down the trustrely on -- i don't -- they didn't do enough trials. it was rushed through, so -- host: you have already talked to your doctor about whether you can get it. did your doctor bring it up and say you should not get it, or

did you ask can i get it? caller: i was talking to my doctor about it he advised me not to get it. i am hiv-positive and i am on antivirals. he doesn't believe i should be putting a virus into my body, so -- but that's not why. he just corroborated. my mind was already made up. vaccination for chickenpox and he was paralyzed for six months. i want to see what happens. tom, callingo to from alverson, and sylvania. theoes plan to get vaccine. good morning. caller: good morning. i am planning to get the injection because, at first, we

were concerned, because there was no real -- no formal way of virusg up to get the medicine, but what happened was i am a member of the local fire company, and the county, through their health department, notified the fire company -- they get a list of the people who are actively engaged in firefighting, and i was able to sign-up. 8, they willary start to administer the vaccine. old.wise, i am 75 years i would be classified in about the same category. i have heard nothing from the health department from the state, only from the county. host: we have approval from gallup i want -- we have of

poll from gallup where the polls have shifted on the number of americans on whether they are willing to accept the vaccine. july, theart, back in number of people who were willing to get the covid vaccine, it has gone up. the number of people who said no, the number has gone down. actually, here's a good point to look at. see 5050 people saying -- 50-50 people saying yes and no. jumped to has no.yes and 37%

you if to hear from you plan to get -- we want to hear if you plan to get the vaccine this year. and i especially want to hear if you have already gotten the vaccine. hollis, calling from illinois. hollis says he does plan to get the coronavirus vaccine. good morning. caller: they can for the program. i am going to get the vaccine, but i have a few questions. i know of quite a few vaccines, ,nd i have not seen the results the side effects from all three. as one of them better? -- is one of them better? does one last longer? are all of them to shots? --two shots? thank you.

host: let's go to karen, calling from stone mountain, georgia. karen says she is not getting the vaccine this year. good morning. caller: good morning. host:? -- why not? caller: i want to know what the long-term side effects are. i want to know what will happen five years down the line. i do not feel safety. -- safe taking it. host: ok. let's go to our social media followers and see what they think about whether they will get the covid-19 vaccine this year. here's one post from facebook that says i already had the real thing. don't need. here's another post that says no, the vaccine has not been tested thoroughly. here's a tweet from twitter that

says i do plan on getting it. i like that. another tweet says, of course. vaccinations are how we defeat covid-19. another post from facebook -- twitter that says, i fear that, in the near future, one will need proof of vaccination to travel and into certain venues. -- inter certain venues. venues. certain another, i will not be the early adopter. one last post from facebook -- in five years, we will be watching commercials on tv saying, if you received the covid vaccine, you may be eligible for compensation. we want to know what you think. if you have had the vaccine already, call us and let us know.

back to our phone lines. let's talk to jim, calling from georgia, and jim says yes. he plans to get the vaccine. good morning. caller: thank you for taking my call. to my neighbor, karen, who lives in stone mountain, not far away, i want to say two things. first, to karen, i hear what you are saying, you know. i don't know what the long-term effects are. i am a little bit older, so i don't mind, you know, the long-term effects. i am not so worried about that. i will not be having any more children, so it is not something i am terribly concerned about. somebody who is younger, i can see that concern. that's the first thing. second thing, you know, i'm a little concerned that our health care industry is not staffed up

to do this. i was running some of the numbers. the eighth most populous state in the country, we need to be getting these inoculations done at a rate, a pretty high rate in order to get or 100u know, 50 million million -- i mean that's a lot of work. be heavy lifting for our health care industry. have theonvinced we staff to be able to make those numbers six months. that's a lot of and not deletions. inoculationsot of in a six-month period. that's my comment. georgiarol in decatur, has already gotten her vaccine. good morning.

caller: good morning. host: when did you get your first dose and how have you been since you have gotten it? caller: i was in the phase one muttered a trial -- phase one moderna trial. i have had zero side effects from the first shot. i had one day a little bit of a fever,e, little bit of a and incredibly tired the next day after the second vaccine, but since then, i have been perfectly fine and i am chock full of antibodies. host: let me make sure i understand you. you were part of the trial. you have been vaccinated with the covid-19 vaccine since april and the only side effects you had came from the second dose and you were tired. what else to do say? caller: i had a fever. i spiked maybe one degree

i was really tired. i had a little bit of a headache. that was for one day after the second dose of the vaccine. i was in phase one of the moderna trial, so i did get 100 micrograms. because of where i work, we get to check antibodies, and i definitely had them. i still abide by all the social distancing and were my mask, etc. my mask, etc. i understand people who are hesitant, but you could say the same thing for a lot of medications. they have all these side effects. thewhat we do know about virus is that some people are going to some -- to succumb to it one way or the other, and when you lay out the cost

vaccine, it is worth it for individuals in the world to get back into a better place. host: we had a call earlier that said that because she was taking another medicine, because she was hiv-positive, per dr. suggested she should not get it. suggested she should not get it. did you get any warnings about if you have this, you cannot get this vaccine? one, soi was in phase we had to be pretty healthy in all of our lab work and someone. we had to go through a lot of hoops. it has been shown to be safe so phase two part of it, that's when they are testing for people who have comorbidities and so forth, and

it sure does seem to be effective. host: is on if the group that got it first, what would you -- as part of the group that got it first, what would you suggest? should our viewers get the drug now or wait? caller: when you look at all the other successive vaccines, polio, hpv, your tetanus shot, rabies shots for people that need it, measles and so forth, i mean, the power of science and the safety of it, compared to the consequences of not getting the vaccine, i think it is really, definitely worth it. host: at a briefing this wednesday among top operation warp speed officials, u.s. army -- officials, u.s. army general, who oversees logistics,

was asked a delay in -- how a wouldin distribution affect further. [video clip] >> we don't keep walking straight ahead if things are not going where we need. we assess and we continue to make adjustments as the doctor just said and i'm going to add on. sureve worked hard to make the long-term health care facilities were ready to be implemented with a great partnership with cvs and walgreens and the states. and i think that is going to be a very, very sound program that, in years to come, will be used as a model. second, as more vaccine becomes a veryle, and we do see good, steady drumbeat of our vaccine coming out the manufacturing finish line, then

we will be able to expand distribution through the local brick-and-mortar pharmacy chains, the 19 that i talked about. we want to enable the governor's plans,- the governors and we think adding them to the distribution matrix through the provider agreement will expand capability and capacity of distribution throughout the entire country. there's over 70,000 pharmacies in -- already enrolled to do this. and so, as the vaccine becomes available, states determined distribution priorities. i visualize, as early as january the expansion15, will greatly increase access of vaccine to the american people. and then we are just going to continue on. assess.y we have to

every day, we have to keep pushing forward to ensure safe and effective vaccines are available to the american people. host: a family foundation did a survey in which they talked to people about why they were hesitant about the covid-19 vaccine and i want to read a couple paragraphs from that study to you. public remainse vaccine hesitant, saying they probably or definitely would not get a covid-19 vaccine even if it was available for free and it deemed safe by scientists. vaccine hesitancy is highest among republicans, 42%. those aged 32-49, 36%. in rural residents -- and rural residents, 45%. -- 35%.

arethird of black adults hesitant, one third of health 30% of those and who work in the health care delivery sending. 59% site worries about side effects. -- cite worries about side effects. we want to know from you, do you plan to get the covid vaccine this year? let's talk to paul, calling from virginia. paul says yes. good morning. caller: yes. i am planning to get it as soon as they will let me get it. host: paul, are you worried about any of those things i just talked about?

are you worried it came out too fast? are you worried about side effects? caller: no, not worried about any of that. i would like to make one comment, and my comment is i do not know why we are being concerned at this early time about the people that don't want to get the vaccine, because there's plenty of people that want to get it right now. let's go ahead and try to get it to everybody that want to get wants to get it on the worldwide basis. until everyone in the world that wants it has gotten it, i don't see why we are talking about the people that do not want to get it. michael,'s go to calling from winterhaven, florida. michael is already gotten the vaccine. good morning.

caller: good morning. thank you for taking my call. i am a veteran, 73. i decided to take it. it is a personal choice for all of us. but wearing the masks and keeping my distance, that's still important to me and it may one, two, three years, we don't know, but i chose to do that. so it is a personal choice. host: tell us about your experience. how long ago did you get the vaccine and have you had both doses or just one? caller: i am waiting on the next one, on the 19th. so about a week ago. as far as the symptoms, not anything. sometimes,shots and

pfizerw, but with that -- i think it is the nurse in my case. they did it right for me. , nod no side effects at all headaches. i had nothing. i think it is mostly, for me in me, in my mind. you worry. host: tell us where you got your vaccine. did you get it from your own private doctor, from a mass vaccination site? how was the process for you? caller: i am a veteran. they brought it here. and -- went up and

got my vaccination there and i look forward to getting the next one on the 19th. it is a personal choice. think about it. if you are not going to take it, but a mask on -- it, but a mask on and stay away. host: let's go to robert, calling from port st. lucie, florida. robert plays on getting a coronavirus vaccine. -- plans on getting a coronavirus vaccine. good morning. caller: good morning. i tried to call. i called so many times and i got a busy signal. the next time, there was a recording on the machine. run's a hell of a way to the vaccine program. it is totally frustrating. host: where were you calling? the hospital, your county health

department? where were you trying to get the vaccine from? caller: i called my doctor's office. the nurse come embarrassingly -- the nurse, embarrassingly, said we only have one number to call. that is where i got the busy signal. i have copd. maybe i should call the v.a. this civilian system starts from the top down, and that is trump. nobody knows what they are doing. marianne's go to in denver, pennsylvania. she is not getting the vaccine. good morning. caller: good morning. host: you don't plan to get the vaccine this year. caller: no, and i find it difficult for people who look

down on people who cannot get it. i say cannot because i am allergic to about nine different medications, including penicillin, tetracycline, sulfur, very basic meds. when i got a cat scan, i was in the hospital and i went into an anaphylactic coma and they told me i almost did not make it. when people say, if you are allergic, just have it done in a hospital, if you have allergies like i do, it is way too scary to gamble and take that chance. but if i did not have all those obstacles, i have one basic question. i heard on television that they cannot guarantee that the antibodies stay in your body past six months. --t would mean that would

that people would have to get these vaccinations every six months. host: i don't know anything about that, and i frankly don't think that they know yet. it is still very early in this process. hil, callingp from austin, indiana. he says he plans on getting the covid-19 vaccine. good morning. caller: yes, i will get mine as soon as i can get it. i will be 65 next month. this is the first year i have not been able to be with my family and i miss them very much. i asked my doctor how soon i can get mine. as soon as it becomes available, i will be one of the first in line. she had hers and she had no reactions at all. host: you said you called your doctor and your doctor said she had already gotten the vaccine and had no side effects, correct?

caller: yes. host: now, are you worried you need -- are you worried in any shape, form, or fashion about it being too early? caller: no. it is 95% positive and i am ready to get it. host: well come up you did a you did a survey and talk to people about their reasons for getting covid vaccine. researchs from p you -- pew research. one of the main reasons people said they wanted to get the coronavirus vaccine was personal concern about getting covid-19, including potential hospitalization. they also had trust in the vaccine development process and camenal practices when it

to other previous vaccines like the annual flu vaccines. people saw they took other vaccines that worked and so were ready to put their trust in getting the covid vaccine. what do you think? we want to know what you think about whether you are going to get the covid-19 vaccine this year. let's go to our phone lines. let's go to jerome, calling from detroit, michigan. drum says he does not plan to get it this year. -- jerome says he does not plan to get it this year. good morning. are you there? let's go to jim, calling from new york. he says he plans to get the covid vaccine this year. good morning. caller: good morning. glad to see you doing the show. i have to get the vaccine. i have heart disease. i have a rare autoimmune

disease. and i never get more [indiscernible] and i trust the science. my wife is scared to death to bring it home to me. we are still married after 30 years. i have to sleep. we can both ease our minds. tim, callingalk to from alabama. he says no, he will not get the vaccine this year. good morning. caller: i am not getting in this year or any other time. i have a couple of things. general,at the surgeon dr. fauci, or the cdc will not tell any of us what's in the drug, what the drug is composed of. the other reason is because

something to do with eugenics. back in the late 1800s, they came up with eugenics, and one of the things they wanted to do get rid of the feebleminded over the people who they thought were useless to society -- feebleminded or the people who they thought were useless to society, older people, the handicapped, criminals -- that they deemed indiana, -- and so, in during the early 1900s, with this eugenics, they sterilized this iseople, and partly what is going on today. they say that they want to give the vaccine to the elderly first.

well, i am 70 years old. the elderly. well, according to eugenics, the elderly have served their time. they have made their contribution and the other part that i want to say is they want to give it to the majority of black people because they seem to get it first because, i guess, the type of immunities -- communities they illumine. why, after 300 years of lynching and killing black folks, they want to save us first? host: let's go to michael, calling from minnesota, and he says yes. he will get the vaccine. good morning. ander: good morning, jesse, happy new year to you, brother. i will get the vaccine because i work at a treatment facility.

as well, i am president of an association. so far, we have not been able to gather as a group. as you probably know, my brother, we have seen a rise in alcohol and drug use during this endemic,nd -- this and we need to work together to prevent the spread of the pandemic as individuals would have had substance abuse issues. tragicallyis melting -- it is mounting tragically across the country. it is too much. we are human beings. individuals need to be able to sit with each other and work out these things. host: on wednesday, during a theersation between -- on coronavirus pandemic between dr. anthony fauci and careful new --

and california governor gavin newsom, dr. fauci discussed the new strain of covid reported in california. [video clip] surprised i am not you have a case in likely more cases in california. we likely will be seeing reports from other states. colorado was the first. i think you will see it. if you have that much of a prominence of this in the u.k. with all the travel, not only directly to the u.s., but to other countries intermittently, i don't think californians should feel this is something odd. this is something that is expected. with regard to your specific question, there's a lot we know because our british colleagues have been studying it carefully, and there are things we will

soon know more about him definitive way. -- about in definitive way. -- a definitive way. it is clear that the transmissibility of this is more efficient than the transmissibility of the standard virus we have been dealing with up to now. mainly, it is able to bind to the receptors on cells better and is transmitted better. there's no indication at all that increases the virulence. it does not seem to make it more strong in that regard. in addition, it does not seem to evade the protections afforded by the antibodies induced by vaccines. the other thing have noted in the u.k. is that people who have been infected do not seem to get reinfected by this, which means that the immunity given to you when you get infected is protective against this particular strain and, thus far,

it does not seem to have any impact on diagnostics, where you would miss it from a diagnostic standpoint. host: let's see what some of our social media followers think about whether they will get a covid-19 vaccine this year. here's one tweet that says, yes. as soon as i can. must wait for the first responders and the politicians to get theirs. another tweet says -- vaccination. my body, my choice. yes, i tweet says -- took my first vaccination this week. another tweet that says -- florida is badly managing the process, where there are old people waiting in long lines in not enough vaccines. -- and not enough vaccines. another -- yes. i went to see when i can get vaccinated. i am in the last group, general

public. they estimate, that group will get vaccines made 2021. -- they estimate that group will get vaccines made, 2021. do you plan to get a coke vaccine this year? calling fromori, whittier, north carolina. she says no. caller: i wanted to call and to say that i do not intend to get one this year. cnn, andcame out from if you go to their website, you can find it. there's going to be like four or five different vaccines for this covid-19. vaccine and the pfizer vaccine injects you with the live virus in the vaccine. -- finvac is coming up with

a vaccine that will vaccinate so, ifh the dead virus, i absolutely have to get one, i am going to wait for the killed vaccine, whichac hasn't come out yet. i think people need to do their homework. as all vaccines are equal far as how they are produced, number one. people need to look at the vaccine history in the united states and do their homework on that. you know, my heart goes out to -- to the tuskegee airmen who have had to endure tragedies

due to the vaccine industry and experiments that have been done. that is all i would like to say. host: let's go to jeffrey, who was calling from annapolis, maryland. jeffrey says yes, he does plan to get vaccinated. host: good morning -- caller: good morning. the look without the beard looks great. congratulations. yes, i plan to get the vaccine marineetired merchant officer that's currently an emt annapolis, maryland. i can appreciate the previous comments from previous scholars who do not want to get the vaccine. -- callers who do not want to get the vaccine. i can understand there's some hesitation, but from what i gathered, i think it's worth the risk. , myself beingthat inoculated many, many times in the military, including for

anthrax and other vaccines, if that has not killed me, i don't think the covid vaccine will kill me. thank you for c-span and carry-on. happy new year. host: the question becomes who will be the next group people to get the coronavirus vaccine. there's a story in the washington post from a couple days ago. i will read a few paragraphs so you can see what they are saying. florida and other republican-led states are bucking federal advice to provide other doses -- early doses to front-line workers, choosing instead to prioritize the elderly, a decision exposing fissures in the nationwide immunization campaign. priorityfficials give --the second tier two

to grocery store workers and others. but officials in florida and texas are moving ahead with a different strategy, asking front-line workers to wait. the choices reflect distinct needs in a highly diverse nation where the coronavirus has killed unevenly. they highlight an emerging could present obstacles to the national effort to curb the pandemic. the divergence is coming into view as the states to face delays in the administration of vaccine doses, each operating on its own timeline based on capacities." wiley, calling from iowa city, iowa. good morning. tells about your experience.

-- tell us about your experience. caller: i work in an operating room. i got fortunate to get in on new year's eve. -- thehem a moderna. i will get in four weeks the other shot. if people saw the condition of coronavirus patients, they would want the vaccine. host: have you gotten both doses or just one and what was your experience? and i: i just got the one have not had any issues for a sore arm or anything. i have continued to work beyond that. weeks, i havefor an appointment -- i expect, in four weeks, i have an appointment to get my second dose. host: how did it work for you to get the vaccine? caller: once the hospital got

the vaccine, it took us 10 days or something after the start. the hospital prioritized their workers by the most closely working with the covid and then the general patient population and then, once all the employees , thewant to get it hospital intends to open up to the general public of our city. host: let's go to john, calling from bismarck, north dakota. john says he will not be getting the covid-19 vaccine. good morning. caller: good morning. host: so, john -- caller: caller i don't plan on getting it -- caller: i don't plan on getting it. i've had friends that got covid. they survived. survivability rate.

those that survived said it was not a big deal. it was not pleasant, but they were over at, and now they have they have the anybod -- antibodies. i'm healthy. i don't have any comorbidities. i'm under 60. it just doesn't concern me at all. i don't have anybody in my life that's close to me who's elderly or who has comorbidities, so i don't think it's necessary. plus, i know this might sound andd, but i am a movie buff i have watched world war z and i am legend and those movies. ugh -- all that trouble came after people got the vaccinations. it was not the disease that caused the issue.

that's my thoughts. host: i want to remind everybody out there that there's going to be a special washington journal theng up tomorrow, sunday, opening day of the 117th congress. washington journal will take you there with a special five hour show starting live at noon eastern. watch the opening day of the 117th congress right here on c-span, specie into, online at c-span.org, and on the free c-span radio app. special opening-day coverage of the new congress right here on c-span. make sure you tune in for that. let's go back to our phone lines and talk to kittie, calling from tennessee. she says she's already been vaccinated. good morning. caller: good morning. host: tells about your vaccination experience.

-- tell us about your vaccination experience. caller: today will be the third day after the vaccination. i was worried about the effects of it, so i was kind of waiting to see if i was going to have the flu symptoms, but i mean, my arm was kind of sore but not really anything. i'm fine. really, now, i don't expect to get anything. symptoms. host: talk to us about your experience getting the vaccine. did you have to wait in line, make an appointment? what was your experience getting it? caller: i had heard the neighboring health department was giving the vaccinations to called myr 75, so i physician near me, and they told me that they also verified that that county's health department was giving vaccinations to anyone over 75. i called and went in three days

and two days ago, whatever, it was drive-thru. so it was a ton of cars there. there had to have been at least 100 people waiting, so you had to wait, but it didn't bother me at all. i decided i was not going to get it to start with, but i got the monitora. -- the moderna. it was fine. host: let's go to rebecca, going from spring hills, florida. said sherebecca does play to get the vaccine. good morning. caller: good morning. host: why do you plan to get the vaccine? caller: i came from a generation where we were vaccinated for smallpox. we had the polio vaccination. some of these were done in our school systems. they would come to our schools and give them to us.

without vaccination, our country would be totally different today. without this one, we may find out what will happen and it will not be good. host: let's go to edward, calling from jersey city, new jersey. edward says, no, he does not plan to get the vaccine. good morning. caller: hi, jesse. good morning. i noticed you cut your beard off. happy new year. tell greta by. -- hi. host: you said you don't play to get the vaccine. why not? caller: it comes in two doses. i am distrusting of that. it is not mandatory either. i am a funeral agent. you cans past year, imagine, earlier in the year, there was like an overload at the funeral home. it was very sad the first time

-- it was very sad. the first time we experienced anything like this. people generally couldn't even come and mourn in groups. i am distrusting of it. i have onlyine had maybe three times in my life. they want you to take that every year. i know people who have gotten sick in the flu shot. i've been tested four times for covid. it is like every time we go to a nursing home now, we have to be tested. but i am unsure about the vaccine. i have a family member who is a physician's assistant and he took the vaccine and he finds -- the rest of our family, we talk about it, and we are like, no, no, no. if it is not mandatory, i am not also,ployers mandating it

you know? it is scary. i don't know what we are going to do, but i am not willing to take a vaccine right now. i'm just not. host: on tuesday, president-elect biden discussed plans for vaccine distribution, especially in minority and underserved immunities. here's what president-elect biden had to say. [video clip] >> i will move heaven and earth to get us going in that direction. i will use the defense production act in order private industry to accelerate making materials needed for the vaccines and predictive -- protective gear. vice president harris and i have been speaking to county officials, mayors, governors of both parties to speed up distribution of the vaccine across the nation. we are planning a whole of government effort to set up vaccination sites and send

mobile units to hard to reach communities. we also know there's vaccine hesitancy in many communities, especially black, tino, and native american, who have -- communities, especially black, latino, and native american, who have not always been treated with the dignity they deserve. we will start a campaign to increase vaccine acceptance to show vaccines are self and critically -- are safe and critically important to one's own health and the health of communities. we will ensure vaccines are distributed equitably so everyone who wants vaccine can get it. we will ensure vaccines are free of charge. host: let's go back to our social media followers to see what they think about whether they are going to get a covid-19

vaccine this year. here's a text that says -- if people want the country to return to normal, they will get the vaccine as i will. be patriotic. get vaccinated. says, i will get it when it is available. i will continue to wear my mask, social distance, even after getting the vaccine. another text -- you should get some form of certificate of vaccination to get into certain places. another text -- i'm 73 with a heart condition. i will take my shot when available. i will probably have to wait available, as they said all people in prisons will be ahead of elderly people. another that says -- i will get the vaccine as soon as president trump sticks his arm out, but he is afraid of needles, so it may

be a while. back to our phone lines, i want to read a story from web md the talks about whether kobe vaccines will be required if you have to go back to work. -- whether covid vaccines will be required if you have to go back to work. "now that vaccines are being distributed, you may be wondering whether your employer can require you to get vaccinated. the answer is yes with a few conditions, according to new federal guidance. the eeoc enforces workplace antidiscrimination laws and has weighed in on covid-19 preventative measures. mandate the can covid-19 vaccine provided they accommodate religion and disability related objections and the employee receives it from a provider that does not contract with the lawyer -- with the employer.

a lawyer says. if you refuse to get vaccinated, you maybe worried about getting fired. the eeoc is clear that the first move is not termination. employers have to try to work with employees first. alternatives include asking them to take a leave of absence work remotely. -- or work remotely." that's coming from web md. employersto the eeoc, may be able to require you to get a covid vaccine. let's go back to our phone lines and see whether people plan to get the covid vaccine on their own. we'll start with jeanette, calling from st. petersburg, florida. jeanette says yes, she plans to get the covid vaccine. good morning. caller: good morning. i live in st. petersburg, florida.

first of all, i had 65 years old. i remember getting my very first vaccine in a sugar cube as a child. i have gotten every vaccine that they have ever put out there, from shingles to hepatitis a to the flu to pneumonia. i want to work. i took a job. they did not enforce any covid restrictions. nobody had to wear a mask. everybody shook hands. i had to leave that job, lost unemployment over it. i need to work, but because i live in a state where it is not taken seriously by our governor, i need to get that vaccine and i plan on doing it as soon as they let me sign up, which i believe is monday. host: let's go to sandy, calling from kent, ohio. sadie says no. -- sandy says no. good morning. caller: good morning.

i live in senior housing and so far we do not have the covid anywhere in our building. however, they are offering it. it has lots of facts, even the ingredients that are in the vaccine, which you cannot pronounce. they are long words. it also says that people who are on blood thinners and different things like that maybe shouldn't get it. difficultys could be breathing, swelling of the face, fast heartbeat, rash, joint pain, muscle pain, headaches. there's a long list of different things that could happen to you. not necessarily, but some people who have allergies also, it says, maybe shouldn't get it. i don't think i'm going to be signing up to get it.

however, they are offering it in our building. host: let's go to david, calling from kentucky. david says yes. good morning. caller: good morning. i want to get it. i want to give my experience too. i was the first one in my county, the doctors told me, to have covid. i went to my personal doctor and he sent me to the hospital. this is march 26 or so. they cap mean the hospital for a couple days -- they kept me in the hospital for a couple days, but they sent me home. my kids brought me food here. i was in quarantine for 33 days. they monitor me. i can go anywhere. -- i couldn't go anywhere.

to give you my experience, i almost died here at home. but a diabetic on insulin, if you think about what i have august, july and august, i had the box. i had to use the bathroom in the box. i sent it back. i had the possibility of: answer. -- colon cancer. they took part of my colon out. this fall, i went to the doctor. i was hurting my chest. i just want and for a blood test. -- in for a blood test. the doctor said we better run an ekg. he said go to the hospital right now. so -- don't wait. they put me in the hospital than

glasgow, close to where i live. then they sent me to bowling green and i had open heart surgery for blockages. host: we would like to thank all of our callers. we will be joined by dan caldwell, senior advisor for concerned veterans for america to talk about his priority for the new congress and the incoming biden administration. later, we will talk about a new study about how the covid pandemic is affecting america's schools. the conversation will be with julia kaufman. stick with us. we will be right back. ♪ tv,oming up tonight on book

on c-span tube. at 10:00 p.m. eastern on afterwards, a professor and is interviewed by a georgetown university law professor. have to deal with infectious disease and collective priorities through democratic processes is the alternative. >> at 10:00 p.m. eastern on afterwards on book tv on c-span2. ♪ >> american history tv on c-span3. exploring the people and events that tell the american story every weekend. eastern, on:00 p.m.

lectures and history, a university of north carolina professor on the end of the 1783can revolution and the treaty of paris. on sunday at 8:00 p.m. eastern on the presidency, a senior gallery's newhe exhibit, every eye is upon me, first ladies of the united states. watch american history tv tonight on c-span3. join us tomorrow for opening day of the 117th congress. our live coverage starts at 7:00 a.m. eastern on washington journal. at noon eastern, the house and senate gavel into proceedings. it will take longer than normal. the vote for the next speaker is expected at 1:15 p.m. eastern.

at 5:30, the newly elected house addresses members, following by the swearing in of members. watch our live all day coverage on c-span, c-span2, online at c-span.org and listen on the c-span radio app. >> washington journal continues. host: we are back with dan caldwell, the senior advisor for concerned veterans for america. he is here to discuss his group's priority for the new congress and the incoming by demonstration. good morning. guest: thank you for having me on this morning. host: tell us what the mission is for concerned veterans for america and how are you funded. guest: concerned veterans for america is a veterans advocacy organization to advocate for the policy that preserve the freedom and prosperity we fought and sacrificed for while in uniform.

we educate and mobilize individual americans to advocate for our policies with their elected officials, also engaging in media campaigns and direct lobbying on capitol hill. in terms of funding, we are part of the stand together committee. -- stand together community. we are funded by donors across the country and we are very fortunate to have their generous support. host: tell us about your military service and how you ended up working with concerned veterans for america. guest: i served in the united states marine corps for four years in active duty. my first two years, i was part of the presidential support program. i spent some time in marine barracks washington, downtown d.c., and almost two years at camp david, the presidential

retreat in maryland. ofeployed in support operation iraqi freedom. i deployed in northern iraq, western iraq. host: what do you think, and what does your groupthink are the biggest issues facing today's veterans? guest: the veteran community faces a lot of the same challenges that the population as a whole faces. one of our messages is, yes, there are unique challenges the veteran community faces, particularly with getting access to health care and other benefits from the department of veterans affairs, which is a big issue we have engaged on, but we are affected by policies, that effect the economy and the

country as a whole. our main focus is on three issues -- reforming the department of veterans affairs, moving the united states toward , meaningforeign policy we view the world as it is, not necessarily as we want it to be. in terms of restraint, being more restrained in the use of military force. it has been overused in the last 20 years. part of that is advocating for an end to our endless wars. we focus a lot on the national debt. we want to see that reduced. we take that is our greatest long-term national security threat. those are the three issues we focus on. they affect not just veterans, but the population as a whole. host: let's focus on the first thing you said, which is reform of the veterans administration.

what type of changes would your group like to see done? guest: we have been very supportive of some of the reforms that have been implemented under the current administration, under president trump. we were big supporters of the v8 mission act, which expanded health care choice for veterans. it gave veterans access to private urgent care clinics, more options in the private sector. they face barriers accessing care through the department of veterans affairs, brick-and-mortar medical system. we supported a v.a. accountability act, which made it easier to fire bad v.a. employees. we supported other initiatives at the v.a. that increases transparency around things like wait times, the cost of health care and the quality of health care when compared to the private sector. we have seen a lot of progress over the last four years but we think we need to go further. we think veterans need for

health care choice, meaning they can choose to go to a v.a. health care facility or a private health care facility without any middlemen at the or. and without any barriers access standards that currently exist. that is what we ultimately want to achieve. it is choice about privatization, to have a good choice, you need to have a good v.a. and good private-sector options. that is what we will be focused on, preserving the gains we have made over the last four years, improving on them encouragingly to grow choice and accountability through the department of veterans affairs. host: the executive director of concerned veterans for america said this on president-elect biden's choice to lead the department of veteran affairs. i will read a statement and i want you to react. the current state of veterans

health care is improved significantly since 2014, with a greater focus on the needs of the veteran, as opposed to bureaucracy. we encourage the biden thenistration to continue important transformations as the department of veterans affairs and not reversed the progress that has been made with the v.a. missions act and other reforms and progress under the current administration. by committing to shared goals with the v.a. to meet the needs of a rapidly changing veterans population, we can improve the lives of veterans today and generations to come. we must put the veteran ahead of the institution and we look forward to working with the next secretary to best serve and empower our nation's veterans. what are you trying to tell the incoming v.a. secretary? wast: our main message trying to get across is continue to build on the progress made

under the trump administration in regard to the v.a. mission act and v.a. accountability act. there is still a lot of work to be done to implement the v.a. mission act and want to make sure the biden administration is continuing that work and not going backwards in terms of reducing health care choice for veterans and reducing accountability for v.a. employees. if you look at where the v.a. was in 2014 under president obama, to where it is now, there has been a lot of improvement. we really want to work with the biden administration to continue that improvement and continue to grow health care choice for veterans and accountability for v.a. employees. host: i want to remind our viewers that they can take part in this conversation. we will open up special lines for this segment. we first want to hear from our veterans. if you are a veteran of our armed forces and want to take

part in this conversation, we are opening up a line just for you. we want you to call (202) 748-8000. if you are active military, if you are currently serving in our armed forces, you will have your own line. active military, we want to hear from you at (202) 748-8001. ourou have not served in armed forces and want to talk about this issue, you have a line as well, your line will be (202) 748-8002. veterans, (202) 748-8000. active military, (202) 748-8001. everyone else, (202) 748-8002. keep in mind, you can always text at (202) 748-8003. we are always reading on social media, on twitter and on facebook. further, i want

you to listen to something that was said last month on his nomination to be the v.a. secretary and they want you to react. [video clip] >> the men and women of the v.a., many of you veterans your -- your cells, your demanding jobs have been made even more difficult by the pandemic. to you and the many dedicated vets service organizations, that includes vets, survivors and your families, i look forward to being your partner, one united team in delivering care and support that is second to none. finally, taking care of our veterans is not a job for the v.a. alone. every federal department and agency has a role to play and i will fight like hell to make it happen. even though only 1% of americans

wear the uniform, under president biden, every american will be called upon to embrace our responsibility to support our veterans and military families. host: go ahead and react to the incoming secretary. first off, i think that the pick to be the v.a. secretary was unexpected and out of left field. i don't think he was on any veterans advocate's list. i want to be clear, that is not to mean he is unqualified or should not be v.a. secretary. he is an interesting choice with a lot of possibilities. even though we disagree with him a lot under the obama administration, we want him to be successful. we want to partner with the v.a. to continue to make sure the

institution serves veterans and military families. a lot of people do not know this, but in many cases, the v.a. provides services to non-veterans. it is also the nation's emergency health care that was used a few times during the pandemic. i think what he laid out there was good. i hope he will partner with groups like concerned veterans for america. there was not a lot of policy substance. what not entirely clear the biden administration will do in regard to the v.a. mission act, v.a. accountability act. we hope they embrace those policies and continue to implement them and fix some of the issues that have emerged with both over the last year. we want to be successful. if they are going to take the v.a. back to where it was pre-2014, when you had the

massive wait list scandal and widespread misconduct across departments, we will oppose that. we will say when they are doing the wrong thing in our view. repetitive,of being we want them to be successful and i really hope he does a good job as v.a. secretary. host: the concern veterans of america was supportive of president trump's veto of the defense policy bill. i want to read from nate anderson's statement on support of that veto. the fiscal year 2021 defense authorization act is flawed legislation that has become a vehicle for making political statements rather than setting defense policy and authorizing funding for our armed forces. president trump is authorized in vetoing this because it

circumvents executive power, powersve branch's war and keeps troops in afghanistan, perpetuating endless wars. why was concerned veterans for america supportive of president trump's veto? guest: i think the biggest issue for us with the provisions that attempted to restrict the ability of the president to withdraw troops from afghanistan , south korea and germany. we believe it is time to bring all of our troops home from afghanistan. we accomplished what we need to after 9/11, long ago, and afghanistan. we killed osama bin laden, the overthrew the taliban, we won the war that we did too but lost the war we did not need to fight in terms of building a democratic society within afghanistan. for far too long, that has been

our main focus in afghanistan and we have lost sight in doing what we need to do to keep america safe. insertedsion that was by representative liz cheney, congressative -- it is trying to force the president to keep sending troops to die in afghanistan for admission that is not essential to our national security. likewise, the restrictions on trying to remove troops from south korea and germany, that is sending a message to two wealthy countries that you can underinvest in your own security and the united states will continue to defend you know better what. that creates the wrong incentives. it restricts our military ability to focus on the threats of the future and more pressing foreign policy issues, but also domestic policy issues, as well.

overall, the national defense authorization act does nothing substantial to try to reduce waste in the military. it does nothing to try to reduce spending where it is no longer needed in our military. it really makes it harder for the military to focus on the threats of the future. we think the veto was more than warranted and we were disappointed to see it overwritten by the house and senate, with the senate taking its vote yesterday. host: let's let some of our viewers take part in the conversation. we will start with rick, who is calling from fort wayne, indiana. rick is a veteran. good morning. caller: good morning. host: go ahead, rick. caller: i just wanted to call and -- we have a local v.a. right here in fort wayne. ajust wanted to give them

thumbs up for the great medical care they have given me. i have been in there two or three times to have different procedures done and everything has been top shelf, way better than i expected it would be. everybody there has a great attitude and it is kind of contagious. v.a.,ebody that uses the i just wanted to express my opinion. host: go ahead and respond, dan. guest: i think that is fantastic. i have been very critical of the department of veterans affairs over the years, but i have to acknowledge that in many cases, probably most cases, the v.a. provides great health care to our veterans. the majority of veterans that we and like theira. health care.

our concern is there is a significant number of veterans who do not receive good health care from the v.a. and are stuck in ava health care facility and do not have full health care choice. that is greatly improved with the v.a. mission act. there are more choices, but there needs to be improvement. we want to ensure that veterans have a choice between a strong v.a. and strong private-sector options. host: what grade would you give the outgoing v.a. secretary? what kind of job you think he has done? guest: you have to divide up his tenure. before this year, i think he was doing a good job. this year, i think his performance has been, frankly, terrible. there is no other way to describe it. , the v.a.ship suspended access, which

restricted access to health care in the middle of a pandemic. it hurt the v.a. and it hurt many community care providers. a customer them of base at a time when many of them were struggling to keep their doors open. addition, this recent inspector general report that confirmed the secretary wilkie had smeared a veteran that had ane some accusations against individual at the washington, d.c. v.a. in terms of sexual assault. his behavior and that incident was unacceptable. we have been supporters, but we have been very disappointed in his performance over the last year. host: let's go back to our phone lines and talk to kim, who is calling from cedar park, texas.

good morning. caller: good morning, jesse. happy new year. i agree with 100% of everything or saying. i want to ask you what you think about this -- i can imagine a health care system with one health care system, one america. one virus, we all need to be in it. i am older now. i have had several surgeries. why can't we have one health care and not freak out and think it is socialism or a national health care system? with the military, many of our big budgets -- you train the youth how to be doctors, nurses and logistics. you all run that. the money we turn goes to our health. one america, one health care system, and everyone used our social security.

it is rationed, but it has to be. the prophet people can have their expensive surgeries. make it one health care, one america, where we can go in and not stress over health care and that will take care of your drug addiction. host: go ahead and respond, dan. guest: i understand what the caller is saying, i understand where she is coming from, but going to the universal single-payer health care system, like what they have in britain with the nhs or a single-payer health care system, i do not think that would be good for the united states. i would use the v.a. as an example as to why. if you look at the v.a. pre-2014, it is a very top-down system. there was not a lot of competition. therefore, the v.a. did not have incentive to improve.

they had a captive customer base, a captive audience the could not really go anywhere else. the v.a. has improved substantially over the last six years because they have introduced more choice, integrated better with the private sector and given veterans the ability to vote with their feet and go to different health care facilities if the v.a. is not serving them well or can answer them them in a timely manner. pre-2014 shows us why we should not move toward more of a single-payer or universal health care system. the best way to fix her health care system is to remove burdensome regulations, to expand competition, to get the government out of the way so we can expand supplies, choice, and ultimately get a better and cheaper health care system for all americans. host: one of our social media followers has a question for you, dan.

this person wants to know, does your organization advocate for or against privatization of the v.a.? guest: we do not support the privatization of the department of veterans affairs. what we support is choice. for choice to work, you have to have a choice in the department of veterans affairs, so you need to have a strong v.a. we want the v.a. to be a strong, good choice, but not the only choice. that is different from privatization, which means the v.a.'s dismantled and sold off to private entities. ed, who is talk to calling from florida. ed is a veteran. ed, good morning. caller: good morning. i am a member of the veterans foreign wars post in florida. we have two full-time service

officers during the trump administration, the service officers have been successful. i have a question for dan -- what is the logic of having a of headan in the form of the veterans administration? i think that, having someone as a veteran heading the v.a., in many people's minds, seems natural. i think that being a nonveteran should not disqualify someone from being head of the v.a. the v.a. is a large, complex organization. it is a health care provider, they run cemeteries, it is designed to be the emergency medical system for the whole

united states in case of a national emergency. like i said earlier, they have done that several times during the pandemic. doesnk being a veteran help you have a better connection to the veteran .ommunity being a nonveteran should not disqualify you from being v.a. secretary. staffperience as chief of equips him in certain ways to make them successful in that role what it does not guarantee he will be successful. he was helping manage the response of the v.a. waitlist scandal. personally, my hope is he has learned from that. we saw the failures of the obama administration and hopefully he will absorb those and take those

to the v.a. he needs to be watched closely by groups like concerned veterans for america and veterans for foreign wars. -- veterans of foreign wars. i want to hear more about what he hears about legislation. we want to give him a chance. ultimately, it is to the benefit of everyone who uses the v.a. that he successful in that role. the: the opening day of 117th congress is tomorrow. keyis concerned veterans' priorities for the next conference? guest: are key priorities are what they have been for the last few congresses. focusing and fixing the v.a., ensuring we have a strong foreign policy that is more restrained, and also that seeks to end our endless wars in

afghanistan, iraq and syria. we want to see no more massive spending bills that added to our national debt, which threatens our future economic prosperity and national security. in regard to the v.a., will be focused on preserving the v.a. mission act, ensuring it is properly implemented. in regard to foreign policy, our focus will be ensuring that congress and the executive the fulle allowing withdrawal of american forces from a chemist and -- from afghanistan, per the agreement between the taliban and the united states. we want to see a repeal of the 2001 and 2002 authorizations of military force. amf was passed after 9/11 and authorized force cannot stand to go after al qaeda and

osama bin laden. it has been since used and abused to allow endless wars to go on. was passed to overthrow saddam hussein, which was a disaster. that authorization has been abused, too. we want to see those repealed so congress can restore its role in matters of war and peace. in regard to the national debt, we do not want to see any massive spending bills. we want to see spending reduction at the department of defense that helps the department become more lean and focused, so it is not adding to our national debt. we would like to see better spending and more efficient spending with the department of veterans affairs so that organization, which is now spending upwards of $250 billion

per year, even though the veterans population is shrinking, so that organization is better serving veterans and the american taxpayer. that is what we will be focused on. we will have a fall legislative agenda and we hope to be meeting virtually with new members of congress and educating them what we do at concerned veterans for america and our policy agenda. host: i want to remind our viewers that you can see live coverage of opening day of the 117th congress right here on c-span, c-span2, live tomorrow at noon eastern. eastern,rrow at noon you can see the opening day of the 117th congress. dan, the military times has looked at the 117th congress and noted the number of veterans. here are some numbers the

military times has posted for the number of veterans in the 117th congress. they counted 91 veterans, 17 in the senate, 74 in the house. sinces the lowest number world war ii. what do you think that says? guest: i think that is mainly a reflection of the shrinking veteran population. oft is primarily a result the passing away of the world war ii, and now korea and vietnam era veteran population. our veteran population grew so large because our military grew significantly during world war ii. since then, we have not fought a war where we needed 16 million men and women in uniform. naturally, our veteran population would shrink. congress being generally representative of the american

public -- not perfectly in terms of professional experience and other forms of diversity -- it does reflect the population and it should not be surprising of the smaller veteran population overall that we would have fewer veterans in congress. think of itself, i veteran status is a good thing for elected representative. i think it connects them more to what our military does and the experiences that are service go through, especially overseas. it should not be a requirement for someone to be elected to office. being a veteran does not necessarily make someone a better representative. for example, look at representative duncan hunter. he was a marine veteran of iraq and afghanistan. involvinged crimes

his personal campaign account. you have that other veterans , a membercunningham of the vietnam war, he was in outright corruption regarding defense contractors. their status clearly did not make them better members. i think veteran status is a positive, but i would prefer a nonveteran who advocates for good policy and consistently takes good votes over a veteran who continually votes the wrong way on important legislation, and who makes our country less prosperous and less secure. host: let's go back to our phone lines and talk to some of the veterans calling in. we will start with matthew in illinois. good morning. caller: what is going on? first off, i would like to say i love this show, love the

intelligence that is implemented in your show. i enjoy watching it. my question as a veteran is, what advancements in the medical field do you think secretary wilkie will bring into the v.a.? with the talk of russia targeting service members and veterans, will we be safe as vets from online fraud? as former special assistant to the president for national security affairs and senior director of the national security council, what experiences will he implement to this situation? host: go ahead and respond, dan. wilkie willtary only be in his role for another 19 days. the better question is how will denis mcdonough handle these

issues? i think the v.a. has been a leader in several fields regarding veteran health care and hopefully that continues under a secretary denis mcdonough. in regarding to the russian targeting of individual service members, i think there are a lot of bad actors, whether they are associated with a particular country or private groups or individuals who target and try to take advantage of veterans. that is unacceptable. the question of what role does the v.a. play in that? i still think that is up for debate. what i don't want to see is the v.a. or government entity given more power in regard to regulating speech and social media. i think that would ultimately be detrimental in the long-term to

having a free and open debate. we need a good marketplace of ideas, and allowing veterans to use social media to connect with each other. i think that is an example of the road to hell is paved with good intentions. a lot of people fighting these issues have their hearts in the right place. i would worry too much about a heavy-handed governmental response to that issue. from let's go to a caller tampa, florida. good morning. caller: good morning. lawrence. host: go ahead. veterani have been a since 1952. operation a major this year. cancer, and they cut

a hole in my heart and put a tube in to extend my heart. my operation was in new york. i have been in tampa for the last six or seven months. they told me to get a checkup. i went to get a checkup at the v.a. in tampa and they said we cannot accept anyone who is not lived here for one year or more. i said i had never heard anything like that in my whole life. when i was overseas in germany and places like that, i did not have to worry about that. tampa for ave in year or more and you cannot accept me to look at me and give me a checkup? i was stunned. i could not believe it. this is a great example of why veterans need health care choice.

why they should have the ability to go and see a provider in the community, the private sector if they can't get health care through the v.a. or it is not convenient for them. or they think it is better for them. this is why health care freedom for veterans is critical. this is a perfect example why we support health care choice for veterans. host: let's talk to a caller from everett, washington. good morning. caller: good morning. my problem has been the same thing. they closed down my veterans affairs office. i have been nine months without care. in last time i tried to get -- host: you are on. keep going. caller: the last time i got in, i had to beg to get in.

it is like a ghost town. i have bills from last year. nobody has a grip on them. i guess they are my responsibility. that is the way it has been going. back in 2014, things started to change. it got better up to the time this pandemic hit. i'm not even sure i believe in this pandemic, as a former wastewater operator, i have not seen anything that convinces me, completely. anyway, i don't want to get into that. the system is broken bad. since been a veteran 1976. i am a cold war soldier. this crazy socialist mess you guys have dug into his crazy. that is all i have to say. host: go ahead and respond. guest: if you are having problems with bills the v.a. was supposed to pay, that it sounds

like might be our challenge, or you are having an issue with the department of veterans affairs, and they are not getting backs you and a timely manner, i encourage you to contract your member of congress's office or your senator's office. they have caseworkers that can help you resolve these issues. it sounds like you might be having challenges that they can help with. i encourage you to reach out to them. this is another example of why veterans need health care choice, why they need the ability to take their benefits into the private sector if they are not getting the care they need through the v.a. or the ultimately feel it is better for them. host: let's talk to anthony, who is calling from west palm beach, florida. anthony is also a veteran. good morning. caller: good morning to you. good morning to your host, as well. my name is anthony. i am a veteran. in the desert

storm war. i was a police officer in washington, d.c. i am very thankful for the veterans hospital in the v.a. department. the washington, d.c. hospital, i went there for years. hospital,alm beach the staff does a great job. v.a., ilike to say, the am disabled, the v.a. has always been there for me. privatizing the v.a. i have dealt with outside doctors. be the concern would compensation pension exams. integrity.rs lack

the cases you put before the v.a., and the active-duty doctors inside the v.a., i am happy. you did a show yesterday about optimism. one of my greatest optimism's is the v.a. in 2021 and the future. thank you, c-span, forgiving all of us a voice. keep up the great work. host: go ahead and respond, dan. guest: i am glad you are having a good experience with the v.a. i know the west palm beach v.a. facility has improved. in regard to the issue for the exams,ation and pension under the obama administration, there was a massive backlog of disability claims. one million when you factor in appeals and other claims. they started to outsource more of the compensation and pension exams to try to reduce the

backlog. as a result, nearly all compensation and pension exams are done in the private sector now. whether or not that will continue remains to be seen. it was a solution to some of the claims backlogs issues. i think those are the solutions you need to look at. it constantly needs to be re-examined. at a future date, it might be better for the veterans and the taxpayer that those services are brought back inside the v.a. it might not be. it is something the constantly needs to be reevaluated. host: we would like to thank dan caldwell, senior advisor for concerned veterans for america, for being with us this morning and talk about his group's priorities for the incoming biden administration. thank you so much for the time. guest: thank you. host: coming up next, we will

talk about a new study on how the covid pandemic is impacting america's elementary and secondary schools. join us for the conversation with rand corporation researcher julia kaufman. we will be right back. ♪ devices andmobile go to c-span.org for the latest video, live and on-demand, to follow the transition of power. president trump, president-elect biden, news conferences at c-span.org. with covid-19 relief legislation approved by congress and coronavirus vaccines being toinistered, use our website follow the federal response to the outbreak. use our searchable video and follow the spread on interactive maps on c-span.org.

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journal. at noon, the house and senate gavel into session. the day's proceedings will take longer than usual. vote for the next speaker is expected at 1:15 p.m. eastern. newly elected house speaker addresses the members, followed by the swearing in of members. c-span,r coverage on c-span2, c-span.org and listen on the free c-span radio app. >> washington journal continues. host: we are back with julia kaufman, co. director senior policy researcher for the rand american education panels. we will be talking about how the pandemic is affecting teaching and learning in america's elementary and secondary schools. good morning. guest: good morning.

pleasure to be here. host: tell us about this study. who did you talk to and what were you trying to find out? guest: or research on how the covid pandemic is affecting teaching back in the spring when schools closed their doors. panels ofr rand school teachers and school leaders to understand what is happening on the ground and in classrooms as a result of the pandemic. we talked to leaders in may. we surveyed them again in october. we asked them what types of approaches they were using. are they remote? in person? how things are going? what percent of students have you been able to contact? what percent of students are completing their assignments? what are your needs? we asked teachers how they are feeling? how many hours are they working?

things that the caught me in the report, our findings paint an alarming 2020-2021 how the school year is unfolding. what do you mean by that? guest: we saw a lot of evidence that concerned us when we got our survey results back. evidence in the spring and fall that students are getting all the instruction and curriculum content they would have received in a particular school year. many more children are not attending school as regularly as they normally would. another thing that concerned us was curriculum coverage, assignment completion, average daily attendance looked worse when we looked at teacher reports in schools with higher poverty and more students of color.

a large percentage of teachers are teaching remotely. teachersal concern was were reporting working more hours than they typically would and really high percentages were reporting signs of burnout and a likelihood of leaving the profession. all of these things painted a grim picture for us. host: were there any differences between the elementary schools and secondary schools, or were the findings uniform? guest: findings were not uniform. there were a number of differences between elementary schools and secondary schools. elementary schools seem to be doing better with assignment completion, with students coming to school. there areer hand, some concerns that we have about elementary schools because we know those children are smaller, if they are remote, they are

probably greater teacher need and that played out in our survey results. teachers in elementary schools reported a lot of needs to support students, probably because those students are smaller and harder to connect with when doing things remotely. host: did your study deal with public and private schools, or did you look at one or the other? guest: we were focused on k-12 public schools. host: let's go through some of the key findings that you saw in your study. here are some of the key findings i want you to talk about. entirelyols are almost or partially remote education. the students are less prepared to-- teachers were less able contact students and there was less accountability. those three things

before we go further. asked schoole leaders and teachers whether their schools were remote or whether they were in person, or somewhere in between -- a hybrid model -- about 80% reported their schools were at least partially remote. one third was totally remote -- they were getting no in person instruction. study, asrom this well as other sources, indicated that schools that are higher poverty, more students of color are disproportionately remote. that matters because teachers report much greater need when students are learning remotely. students from these high poverty areols, students of color probably not getting their assignments done as easily because they are remote, not to

mention the compounding problems of being in high poverty schools and lower assignment completion to begin with. you asked me to talk about students being less prepared to participate in grade level work. we as teachers, how prepared are your students? 66% reported the majority of students were less prepared during the 2021 school year relative to this time last year. 27% indicated their students were significantly less prepared. teachers in high poverty schools were twice as likely to say their students were significantly less prepared than last year. being as teachers not able to contact students, on average, teachers reported being able to contact roughly four out of every five students. those percentages were worse in the spring. in the fall, there are still students falling through the cracks. we also asked teachers if they

were assigning letter grades. back in the spring, only about roughly 30% of teachers said they were assigning letter grades. in the fall, about 60% said they were. that is a signal that instruction might not be as rigorous -- there are a lot of reasons not to assign letter grades when students are remote, but they also provide accountability. that is why we say there is likely less accountability this year. host: let's look at more of the key findings from your report. you also found teacher morale was low, with increased burnout. there were problems increasing digital devices and the internet. teachers providing virtual learning need more support. talk a little bit more about those findings. guest: teacher morale right now is a real concern. if teachers leave the profession in greater numbers toward the

end of the school year, school districts will have a lot on their plate, not only addressing learning loss, but bringing teachers back to their school. when we asked teachers in the spring weather burnout was a concern, 25% said it was a major concern. we asked again in the fall, and 57% said it was a major concern. teacher's feelings of stress are higher, enthusiasm for the profession is lower. the most concerning thing is when we asked teachers, are you likely to leave the profession? about 7% said they were likely to leave the profession before covid. that is on par with the typical attrition rate. 17% of teachers said i was not likely to leave the profession before covid-19, but i am likely to now. that is a large number of teachers that could be leaving

schools by the end of this year. you also asked about continued problems accessing digital devices and the internet. principals in schools that are reported 86% of their students have an adequate internet connection at home. those 14% of students who are totally remote and do not have an adequate internet connection, we are not sure how they are connecting with their teachers, how they are learning at the same level of those with an internet connection at home. host: we would like to remind our viewers they can take part in this conversation. we will open up special lines because we want to hear from special people for this conversation. our first line will be for parents. what are you seeing with your children and the teachers they

are working with? parents, your line will be (202) 748-8000. those teachers -- not only teachers but administrators -- we want to know what you are going through. educators, your line will be (202) 748-8001. if you do not fall in either of those categories, your line will be (202) 748-8002. (202) 748-8000 for parents. (202) 748-8001 for educators. everyone else -- (202) 748-8002. remember, you can always text at (202) 748-8003. we are always reading on social media, on twitter and on facebook. lines ando our phone let's talk to kyle, who is calling from buffalo, new york. kyle is an educator. good morning.

are you there? i think we lost kyle. let's go to steve, who is calling from new york. good morning. school i teach middle and i teach most of my classes live. i teach one remote class. i wish we would go back to all remote because i am worried about getting the covid. we have had five teachers out and 100 students in quarantine. it is a big mess. i wish this whole vaccine would come in soon and we could get back to normal. i also wanted to mention the teachers also depend on coaching, doing things after school to make extra money to make ends meet, and there is no money for that. that might be another reason why teachers are thinking about leaving the profession. host: go ahead and respond,

julia. guest: i think what you are pointing out about teaching right now, it is a tough thing to be doing. i also worry about the fact that teachers do not have those afterschool options for getting additional money. i hope that what happens now is schools get more money through the stimulus package that they used to implement as many safety precautions as possible, to make teachers feel a little more comfortable in schools. there are covid testing programs happening now, where schools are piloting tests and able to test students when they walk in the door. if they have a sniffle, you can give them a test and see if they have to go home or they just have a cold, and not coronavirus . i hope all those things get implemented more and more in schools so teachers feel more

comfortable going to school and questionin julia we have a from a social media follower who wants to know what impact high-speed broadband in rural areas have on students? guest: could you repeat that one more time for me so i make sure i got that? host: what impact does the lack of high-speed broadband in rural areas have on students who did not have high-speed broadband? guest: there are huge proportions of students that do not have the high axis broadband. there are even packets in urban areas where students do not have access. when you do not have access to the internet you're not going to get assignments as readily completed. aboute asked teachers assignment completion we found the results correlated, which is not surprising.

if you cannot connect to the internet, not only do not have access to the information, you do not have access to your teachers. there are many reasons why broadband is important. one of the things i am glad to see in the stimulus package is that $7 billion is committed to expanding broadband access. that is great not only for schools, but for a lot of other reasons, businesses, workers try to find employment, all kinds of things. host: we talked to jordan calling from durham, north carolina. caller: good morning. how are you guys? host: good. go ahead. caller: another pandemic is going on but i wanted to know how julia feels -- does she feel it is time for the kids to go back to school?

should we wait until after the pandemic is over? guest: jordan, could you say that warmer time? you were breaking up and i am not sure i got your whole question. caller: i know this pandemic is ,oing on, but how do you feel when this is all over with, do you feel kids should go back to school? think kids should go back to school when their parents feel safe doing so, when schools feel safe doing so, and one of the issues as we have not had real clear guidance on the metrics necessary for schools to go back. what we see across the united states is that schools and districts are addressing all kinds of metrics for addressing that. as long as you have consulted with experts that is a good thing. but in general, if we could have clear, national guidance, that would be useful.

again, the safety precautions are necessary. not only just covid testing, but all layered mitigation. make sure students are wearing masks, temperature checks at the beginning of the day, all kinds of things we could be doing to make sure everyone feels safe. jordan, if you are asking when , when wemic is over have a reasonable number of people vaccinated, does it feel like going back to school will make sense? speaking as a parent, i am hoping so. i hope everyone is headed back to school because i think the in person connection is vital for children, for families, making sure learning happens, but also to provide that social and emotional support. hoping back to school goes smoothly when we are talking about the next school year. host: as a parent, i completely agree. we have another question from

our social media followers who wants to follow up on the question of when kids go back to school. luckyg in e-learning i am as our product is used more than it has ever been. that said, my question is if teachers will implement long-term changes, especially far more online learning or revert to tried-and-true methods of the past? is there anything for online learning that should go forward when students return to school? guest: that is a great question and i hope we can retain some of the good things. there are not a lot of great things about learning remotely, but one good thing, for me as a parent and we have heard this from other people, is i think a lot of schools have put in place real clear information about grades. when i go to my kids' school i have a dashboard where i can see

how my child is doing. i have a much better handle on how they were doing than i ever did before because of these remote platforms put in place for me to understand how my kids are doing. i sure hope schools that had not been doing that before can retain that. i think there is a lots of evidence through history that schools tend to revert what is comfortable, what is traditional. but more and more there are innovative platforms and games and way students are learning that are being taken in vantage of right now that i hope really continue -- advantage of right now that i hope continue. there are a lot of innovative ways children can be learning now and past the pandemic through digital devices and games and such. host: let's go back to our phone lines and talk to larry, calling from twentynine palms,

california. caller: good morning. every woman in america had a chance to vote for hillary and they want to punish her for benghazi or whatever. look who is getting punished now? what can you say? women did not want to protect their kids by putting in hillary. they wanted to take a chance on donald trump. now everybody is hungry, schools do not work, half the people in america do not know net neutrality, but they can make a semi automatic weapon. i think we are getting what we deserve. i do not know what to say about america. women failed us. you had a chance to take care of your own and you took a chance, rolled dice. i see the lines in florida and texas and even california. people are hungry and they do not want to give you money. this is what you guys wanted. women of america next time, wake

up. host: go ahead and respond if you want to. guest: i'm not sure whether that was directed to me or what. i will say there are a lot of women who vote politically for someone other than trump. bidenk the incoming administration, in all seriousness, they are talking about putting more money into schools and i am hoping that is the case. i think right now the current thinkus, $900 billion, i $56 billion is put aside for schools, maybe a little less than that. i think that is not really going to be enough to fight all of the budget problems schools and districts are going to have. i do not think it is going to be woesh because of the state . the money in the stimulus package, that is not going

directly to schools. i am hoping more money gets into schools because right now, there really going to need it. host: since we are bringing up the topic, right now there is $82 billion for schools and colleges in the relief bill being talked about in washington. do you think that is an adequate amount of money for schools and colleges? guest: as an education researcher i want to see education being supported as much as possible. i think it is our future. i think children are falling to the cracks and right now we also need those kids to be able to connect remotely. now givingre right $7 billion for broadband access is going to get them connected right now. schools are still remote. i'm really concerned about that.

i am concerned about the coming year. i think tutoring has been one thing that has been suggested. withhools could partner community support -- there is not the money in the package to do that. there are a lot of reasons why more money would be good. host: let's go back to the phone lines and talk to michael calling from evans dale, iowa. good morning. caller: good morning. this is a first time calls for me and i am excited for being on. my question is i am an experienced reading buddy. if you are familiar with that program, it is a great program. locally, i am a retiree from the headstart program. right now, there is limited

things that we can do. you know, they prefer not to have us coming in from outside. i thought i was going to be program, but because of complications, that did not work. what i am asking is how can we help? there are a lot of people with experience, like myself, and that want to help. what is the best way, or what to helpoptions, for us out with the reading programs? i was specializing in first-graders. i understand, after a study that wast was the area suffering the most. i have real concern. i have no children of my own.

i want to do this as a concerned citizen. how can i help? guest: i wish there were so many more people like you because right now children need more help than ever. i think a challenge right now is that schools are drinking through a fire hose and have not really set up the programs that are necessary to support children. i do know that right now math is an area we know there is even more learning loss than reading. that might be because parents are not as able to help their children with math. and ildren are 14 and 11 work doubt them with math, but sometimes i need a little primer to help. with the reading i am much more comfortable. i was trained to be an english teacher and a lot of people accountable reading. children need help in both areas. what would be important is to do

a google search and see what community organizations might be offering tutoring. that is the first thing i do. another thing i do is connect with schools, connect and ask them, are there tutoring programs? can i help? i do think there are a lot of community organizations partnering with schools. i think there are lots of options and if you cannot find an option in your area, if you have it in you, i would say try to find a group of people you can work with and set up a tutoring program. i know that might not be within a lot of people's reach, but that is something we are seeing in a love communities. some amazing work happening, some real grassroots work to help children. i am so glad you are willing to help. host: julia, we have a comment from a social media follower and i will read the comment a follow up a question. open allon texted,

k-12 schools immediately. teachers should be no different than other essential workers. the health of our children is suffering. my question to you is, do we know where teachers fall on the vaccination schedule? a lot of people want to see the k-12 schools open at least by the fall, but i have not heard any teachers be put on the prioritization list for the vaccine. guest: there has definitely been talk about teachers getting the vaccine. at the same time as essential workers and i think in many states that as a state choice. i do think it is an important group of people. afterhealth care workers, people in nursing homes, i think teachers are one of the groups being targeted in many states and i agree it is important to get the teachers vaccinated so that they can get back to school. also, beyond vaccination again,

things like testing, covid testing, could be distributed to staff so they feel more comfortable, but also to students. why were lots of reasons can't force teachers back to school until they have a safe place to go. looking at all the things about the covid infection rates, the safety precautions the school is putting in place, and down the road looking at vaccinations, those are all things that can help teachers get back to school and students get back to school. host: let's go back to the phone callingd talk to clint from denver, colorado. clint is an educator. good morning. caller: good morning. happy new year. i have a couple of comments and i would like responses from your guest educational researcher regarding technology and its acceleration in the classroom.

the fear teachers may be having being replaced by them, or having a great reduction in the need for teachers regarding them being replaced by technology. one other comment i have is about teachers and their resistance toward taking the vaccine. i am wondering if any are hesitant on receiving the vaccine. i will take her comments off air. thank you very much. guest: great. thanks for the questions. the first about technology taking over, i actually think the pandemic has driven home the opposite. that in person instruction is really important. our research suggests when kids are totally remote it is not enough. they need that in person connection. when kids are remote they still have a teacher, right?

the teacher is disconnecting at a distance for the most part. i do think technology can support teaching in a lot of ways. we talked about some of the innovations technology can bring, but i think there is no substitute for a great teacher. question,your second which i believe was about the vaccine and maybe you could repeat that? --e to make sure i have it repeat that question one more time before i repeat it? the hesitancy to take the vaccine. guest: i think it bolsters confidence and teachers feel more confident getting that vaccine. the more people that have that vaccine and can feel safe going back into the classroom, the

better it is for everybody. host: let's go to stephanie: from new york -- calling from new york, new york and she is also an educator. caller: happy new year to your both. i am a fully remote teacher because of health accommodations. i am working fully remote teaching and live streaming in therom at least 8:00 morning until 4:00. of course there is the general preparation time for the next when this concern is began it was all of this conversation about, oh my god, you are amazing, you are wonderful, i am sorry. evan never argue with you again. now it is mask up, do what you need to do for the economy and for the children and the problem childrene 150% to our

at our own expense, out of our own pockets, at the expense of our families because we love what we do. i love the children i serve. host: go ahead and respond, julia. guest: yeah. every time i talk to teachers, and i've been talking to them more and more lately, i am blown over by their commitment to the children. i think teachers are doing all they can. that in cases where there is high infection rate in a school there is no way to feel safe going into the school unless there are a lot of safety measures in place and you feel comfortable doing that. i would just say to this teacher and all teachers struggling with being remote that there are a lot of people like me. i am a parent and i appreciate the hard work you are doing. i think there is a lot going on right now remotely that is great

for kids. my kids are getting great instruction from their teachers online. i think there is a limit to what teachers can do remotely, right? we have evidence teachers are working drivers than ever, but there are only so much they can do with hands-on activities that allow you to do projects. those are the activities kids can really learn a lot from. they are missing that piece and not necessarily as motivated right now. when those teachers are teaching remote, i think there is a lot you can do to support kids. but hoping we can go back to school soon. host: would talk to roy calling from park rapids, minnesota and roy is also an educator. good morning. caller: good morning. i have taught in three states. i taught with a bachelors for a

while. went back, got my masters, and could not even get a job. you run into a lot of local politics in which there is a fear of influence. dvday, my point is that learning systems have been so good and i have watched school systems in three states throw away dvd learning. what they have done is thrown away their libraries and put in microwave emitters in classrooms. i do not have a lot of sympathy for schools. i am seeing an administrative foolishness about this when there is good ways to do things. just my observations. i would like to hear from julie on this. thank you for hearing me out. guest: yeah. i am not sure what dvd learning means, but i do think there are a lot of choices that are relegated to schools that

schools have to make another round. some states are doing more to support schools than other states. i think they need to support schools now because there is only so much schools can be doing to support kids. there is only so farhey can go. right now, we know a little schools are not showing up for school and when we are in the middle of a pandemic it is hard to search all those children down and bring them back to school. there are a lot of other support schools need right now. states,that, in some there is a lot of direction and support provided to schools and a lot of the direction is being relegated to the districts, who are in a really tough place right now trying to make decisions for their children without much funding to do so. i think that is going to change with the stimulus coming through.

hoping that changes, so that schools can do more, can figure out better how to support kids remotely, can figure out better the safety precautions to put in place to support kids. host: julia, before we run out of time, did you come up with any recommendations for the school systems for the rest of the school year and for the beginning of the new school year? guest: yeah. we really focused on -- and this was before the stimulus came out -- we were focused on schools needing an infusion of funding to address multiple needs. but particularly to target remote instruction. we know the kids engaged in remote instruction are often in high poverty schools, often students of color, so putting more money into schools to support remote instruction, getting them digital devices, getting them broadband, is really important.

also, getting safety precautions in place including covid testing to make sure students and teachers feel safe. the other piece we recommend is just trying to get more data so we really know what is going on, especially on those academic interventions that curb learning loss, that might support students right now. we have some evidence about things that have worked in the past, but right now think that could work remotely, like to drink, we have evidence that could support -- like to drink, we have more evidence that could support them. we need to see helping students catch up. we also need to know more about teachers' needs. they have a lot of critical needs and we need to. support them can districts collect data on what they need and what they're feeling is an adequate? research, we found teachers were reporting they were not getting adequate support to support students with

disabilities, students who are homeless. all those pieces need to be put into place for them to feel comfortable teaching. ask your teachers what they need, what they are lacking. i think that could be an important step for districts. host: let's see if we can get a couple of more calls. john is calling from dade city, florida and john is apparent. caller: hello? host: you are on, john. good morning. caller: good morning. happy new year. i feel a lot of these teacher's unions are using the covid virus to hold the government hostage for more money? why can so many other people work, bus drivers, people who work in restaurants, , and in young kids

the covid virus has proven not to be as dangerous. i do not understand why they cannot go back to work and if they are going to work remotely, why do they want more money? guest: you know, john, i agree that for parents in particular of young children, this is incredibly hard. my kids are older. i do not have to support them as much. i do not know sometimes how parents with young children are doing it. i think some school districts have put in place measures that i think are really important right now to bring elementary school students back and spread out across spaces so that those elementary students are getting what they need and in a safe place. i think safety is huge right now. a way to serve younger children and, make everyone feel safe i think that is the best combination of factors that can

support everyone right now. i agree that elementary kids in particular really need to be back in person. anything the school systems can do to do that would help everybody. host: let's talk to martin calling from dayton, ohio. martin is an educator as well. good morning. caller: i am a reading teacher for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade. i also teach social studies, but it has been a very difficult year. we all know that. for teachers, most would tell you it is like being your first year teacher. it is that level of stress and anxiety. mostly it is because we do not have them with us all the time. remotely and it is hard to engage kids that way. the motivated students are going to be fine, but the ones you can engage when you have them with you in the classroom, you do not know how much they are getting

from it. i am reading a lot of books, great books from great authors because that is what engages them. it is better when you are they classroom. you can really have activities around the books and get them interested, even if they are not readers. i work in a low district and that makes it even tougher. the learning starts at home and sometimes the only learning plays they have is the school. host: go ahead and respond, julia. guest: yeah, i think you are right there is only so much you can do remotely. it is wonderful you are reading to them. window reading is one into other places and other worlds and helps students and families think beyond the

pandemic. even engage with their parents a little bit. i think for elementary kids toents are trying to engage help their children. i think that continues beyond the pandemic. hoping that teachers continue to connect with parents and inform them about how students are doing so that families can work with students, especially during periods of learning loss like after teachers can get the kids back up speed. calling talked to diane from arkansas. good morning. caller: good morning to you. i am a substitute. i have been substituting the last six years in the local school districts. i believe i am kind of a

professional substitute. i am 73 years old so there is no way i am going to substitute in the middle of a pandemic. my question is, and i have worked in schools in texas as 2020 and wes now have a pandemic going across the country. why are schools, which i have , we are not and agricultural, farming community anymore. the hesitancy to stick to the old calendar just does not make any sense to me. bad whye pandemic is so not delay school opening until march?

go into the summer and parents tters in the si summer. i would like to know her opinion why we cannot shift the school months. to the warmer host: summer school. guest: that is a great question. that is a great question and i think some school systems are considering that right now. considering changing their calendars. i think it is really hard to change calendars because of all the logistics and all the pieces that need to be put in place, and parent expectations about when they need to support their kids. i think right now -- for example, where i live in pittsburgh, during the summer there are all kinds of things in place to get childcare during the summer because that is how the system works, right? i do agree we could take advantage of the summer months.

schools close, earlier, are open earlier, their different calendars at different places and thinking about moving into the summer with the school, i think it is a good idea. could be some obstacles i am not thinking of that make that complicated, but i agree we could take advantage of those months and using some of these months to gear up for something like that. host: we go to brad calling from pennsylvania. good morning. caller: good morning. as a parent and educator i think the one thing this has exposed clearly is the online education does not work. the one parent who called in and teachers not in the school -- why are teachers not in the school the kids?

i do nothing we should be a protected class. these kids are safe. the science behind it says so. if, by chance, there was a student who do not feel safe, they could stay home and go i difference cyber route. but i think this has exposed clearly that online learning does not work. teachers should be in the classroom with their kids and as far as the last caller talked about pushing the calendar and performing the calendar and have school,me be a time for maybe i am just a traditionalist, but we are a 10 month employee. a lot of time the teachers use the summer months for their second job and to carry out some endshose ways of making a meet. host: go ahead and respond, julia.

guest: we have sort of build up expectations that jobs and everything around the nine month school year. teachers are expected to work in the summer and there are jobs in the summer. maybe, bit by bit, if the calendar was shifted, it would be easier for teachers to have that 10 month calendar. the kindsat those are of things that make it difficult to shift the school calendar. it is nice to hear from somebody from latrobe. latrobep very close to and i think there are a lot of schools where school districts feel safe in the covid rates have been lower, but are getting higher. you are right that right now schools are remote and it is not working. that has been driven home by our research in particular. host: would like to thank julia

kaufman, senior policy researcher for rand corporation, for coming on this morning in talking about the study on how the pandemic is impacting teaching and learning at america's schools. thank you for being with us this morning. guest: thank you. it was a pleasure to be here. host: when we come back, more of your calls and stories on whether you will get the covid-19 vaccine. we would like to hear from those who have been vaccinated already. we will be right back. ♪ announcer: join us tomorrow for opening day of the 117th congress. i would live coverage starts at 7:00 a.m. eastern on washington journal. at noon the house and senate gavel into session. the proceedings will take longer than usual to accommodate members. is vote for the next speaker

expected at 1:15 p.m. eastern. at 5:30 the newly elected speaker will address the members followed by the swearing in. watch our lives all day coverage on c-span, c-span2, online at c-span.org and listen on the c-span radio app. announcer: on tuesday the balance of power in the senate will be decided by the winners of the georgia runoff spirit david purdue and kelly loeffler are defending their seats. the democratic challengers are jon ossoff and raphael warnock. follow the results and hear from the candidates in the final races. live coverage on c-span, c-span.org, and the free c-span radio app. ♪ announcer: you are watching c-span, your unfiltered view of government.

c-span was created by america's cable television companies in 1979. today we are brought to you by these television companies who provide c-span2 viewers as a public service. ♪ announcer: washington journal continues. host: we are back and once again we want to hear from you on whether you will get a covid-19 vaccine this year. if you plan to get a covid-19 vaccine, we want to hear from you at (202)-748-8000. if your answer is no, your number is (202)-748-8001. if you have already received it, we want to know your experience. call in at (202)-748-8002. you could always text at (202)-748-8003 and we are always reading on social media @

c-spanwj and facebook.com/c-span. the new york times had a story earlier this week talking about the problems they are seeing around the country with people getting the vaccine and i am going to read a couple of paragraphs. federal health officials acknowledged wednesday the vaccine roll up had a slower than expected start and they did not have a clear understanding as to why only a small portion of doses shipped around the nation had made it into arms. 167,000 peopleed in nursing homes and long-term care centers had given shots. even though 2.1 million doses had been distributed for those facilities. deaths in those facilities have accounted for more than one third of the total coronavirus debts in the country for most of the pandemic. plannt to know whether you

on getting the vaccine. let's start by talking to greg calling from nashville, tennessee who has already been vaccinated. good morning. caller: good morning. how are you? host: i am good. tell us about your experience. caller: it was great. went in, got vaccinated. the first day there was no problem. symptomatic, but the next night my arm did hurt. i am kind of guy that i can take pain, but my arm did hurt. lasted maybe six hours or something. i could not sleep on my arm. host: i was going to say, is that the flu vaccine hurt or something that was worse? caller: i take the flu vaccine and have never had any problem. it was just painful.

after that, it was no problem. host: how long would it take to get the vaccine? did you have to wait in line? did you have to make an appointment? caller: to place of work for set the appointments. in and we hadgn to show our id. we went to another room, got vaccinated, the chairs were six feet apart and they ask you questions. they make sure you do not have allergies and they give you the shot. it was very simple. host: you know which one you got? caller: the moderna. host: the moderna?

caller: i got the moderna and was exited two weeks ago. -- vaccinated two weeks ago. john callingo to from oregon. how do you pronounce your town? caller: you did really well. american indian name. happy 2021.sh you vaccine. to get the expert, but from what i have read, yes. have 1a, 1b, and

1c. i am in the c group. i have a question for you. i am sure people appreciate getting those coffee cups, like the one on your desk. cups ton sending coffee the speakers? host: that is a good question. i actually have no idea whether we are shipping coffee cups. you could probably go to c-span.org and look at some of the things we have available. perhaps some of them are available for you to purchase. we go to joseph calling from tallahassee, florida and he does not plan to get the vaccine. good morning caller: good morning and happy new year. i hope you're doing well. i have decided not to take the vaccine and i have always taken vaccines. i always believed they were important. the only reason i do not with this thing is this is a

pandemic. murderbeen more like a mystery trying to figure out who did what. is nobodyvaccine really knows what the effects of the vaccine will be, especially if a person has other health issues. this is something that should be seriously looked at in a different way. i do believe, and back when i was in grade school, we took the polio vaccine. naturally, we were always told by our school officials, you have to get your immune eyes asian record -- immunization record updated. me, something a little different and frightening. i wish i could feel differently but in this case i can't. i am not saying those who take it are wrong, but i do feel i am

not the only one who is a little leery of this right now. vaccinehoever gets the will be good. for those who do not, make god's hands protect them. host: we go to jerry calling from shreveport, louisiana. you plan to get the coronavirus vaccine, correct? caller: yes. host: are you worried about the side effects or that it rushed to the market? caller: my thing about it is the combination of being exposed to the virus and taking the if they i feel like told have some mobile way -- i encourage your

program to go on and do that. host: we want to remind our viewers tomorrow is the opening congress and17th you can watch it live right here on c-span. show startingial at noon eastern. you can tune in on c-span, c-span2, c-span.org, and the free c-span radio app for the opening day of the brand-new, 117th congress starting at noon eastern on c-span. tune in tomorrow as we watch the beginning of the brand-new 117th congress. we are talking about whether you plan to get the covid-19 vaccine today. we want to know what you think. let's go back to our lines and talk to fran calling from syracuse, new york.

fran says yes, i am getting the vaccine. caller: happy new yearcaller:. host: same to you. what you think about the vaccine and do you plan to get? frankly, do you know when you will be able to get it? caller: i am a department of defense worker. i work for the army as a med tech. we got in line to get the vaccination. our commander sent out the information and a declaration that we have to sign and that makes me a little leery. the declaration says we have to .ign it to get the vaccination passed -- i forgot but the untested

covid-19 vaccine shot. that is what makes me leery is because it has been untested. workingnt-line worker on young people, that is why i am leaning toward getting the shot. i'm just a little bit leery. host: let's go to arthur calling from michigan. good morning. caller: good morning. host: your answer is you do not plan to take the vaccine. why not? september 2019i got the flu shot by the 23rd of december, i came down with cold sweats and my intestines felt like they were jumping out. i had a third grade education.

doctorso faith in these or psychiatrists or anything. wishust surviving and i america well and god blesses all. we are going to face judgment someday. i do not think this world is going to go on forever in the flesh. host: let's remind everyone the coronavirus pandemic is still going on in the united states even though the vaccine is being distributed around the country. johns hopkins university's coronavirus tracto tracker says9 million cases of covid-19 have been discovered in the united states and 347,870 people have died because of coronavirus in the united states. this comes as nearly 2.8 million people in the united states have gone there vaccine, but the american government had hoped

they would have 20 million people vaccinated by the end of 2020. the vaccine rollout is going slowly, but it is happening. the question to you is, do you plan to take the covid-19 vaccine? let's go back to our phone lines and talk to bill calling from fairfield, connecticut and bill says yes, he will take the vaccine. good morning. caller: good morning. happy new year. host: same to you, bill. you are saying you would want to take the vaccine? do you know when you will be able to get it? caller: no. that is the problem. i have no idea on when i can get it. i talked to my pharmacist at cvs and they have not been told anything yet. i'm 66 years old. cancer and i would think i would be one of the first ones

to be able to get it, but i have been told nothing or i have no idea on how to get it. host: have you asked your personal physician about getting the coronavirus vaccine? caller: yes, i have and they said when they know something they would be able to tell me, but they have heard nothing yet either. john callingo to from elmhurst, illinois and john has got his vaccine. good morning. caller: good morning. how are you? host: i am good. have you had both doses and do you know which vaccine got? caller: the pfizer and i had my first dose two have weeks ago. i will have my second dose next wednesday. no reaction at all. it is something we should all do andelp our country

everybody should do this. it is not a big deal. american, of being help your country, help people that are less fortunate, take the vaccine, and no symptoms. i feel good. host: tell us about your experience getting the vaccine. did you have to wait in line, to check to make an appointment? caller: i had to make an appointment, but it was quick. hour afterred me one the vaccine and that was it. cvs, did you get it at a your personal physician, did you go to a vaccination center? what was your process like? caller: i am a physician. i work with covid patients all the time. i see people die repeatedly and i know it is important for us to get this vaccine. host: ok.

let's see what our social media followers are saying about whether they will get the covid-19 vaccine. yes, ia text that says, will take the coronavirus vaccine asap. s will make this last longer. another text says, i have already had the virus. three days i could not taste or smell anything. had the test, positive so i am vaccine on getting soon. a text says, i am waiting patiently in my home wing for information about when and how vaccines are to be distributed in arkansas. another text says, i will absolutely take the vaccine. the sooner the better. one last text says, employers are likely to require vaccination of employees. those refusing should be denied on the plymouth benefits.

get i a if we can few more calls. raymond is calling from cleveland, ohio and ray says no vaccines this year. caller: i love c-span and i love the good work you do. host: thank you. you say you do not plan to get the vaccine this year? caller: i actually came up positive. ion my second week of having covid -- i am in my there are two things related to this. one is lupus and the others having numbness, and i have that. i worked with a good friend of mine at kent state university on hiv vaccine and he said the only way to find out if it was working was for people to engage in unsafe activities such as

slipping around, doing risky behavior. we do not really know if the vaccine works unless people are engaging in risky behavior. we do not know yet the long-term effects of what this vaccine has. studies are showing people who have had covid could later develop autoimmune disorders from having covid. what happens is the body's antibodies turnaround and attack other parts of their system, particularly the central nervous system. more likely we do not know if the vaccine is going to work unless people are engaging in risky behavior. it is kind of a catch 22. host: let's go to linda calling from orange, connecticut and she says she will be getting the coronavirus vaccine. good morning. caller: good morning. happy new year. first of all, comparing covid to

aids is quite a stretch. mean, the behaviors are very different. they kind of boggled my mind, but nonetheless i will get the vaccine. we do not have instructions on when to get it. it appears i will be in the third group, but absolutely and i am grateful they got it out as fast as they did. i am hoping everybody -- we have not had any bad side effects. effects.ad rare side doctors are going first, like the one who said before, and i trust them and i hope everybody else does too. host: we talked to christie calling from logan, alabama and she does not plan to get the vaccine. morning.ood

the reason i am saying no is i have had a kidney transplant and i cannot take a lot of other vaccines. medicineshave to take to keep my immune system low so i will not reject my kidney. i have a lot of other health problems, too, but i am scared to take it because i've had my transplant 11 years. you do not want to lose the kidney. i could not do dialysis again. my body is not able to take it. host: have you been able to talk to your doctor about the coronavirus vaccine and how they think it might affect you? caller: well, they do not know yet. they are in the same situation. they want to wait and see what happens. know with the other vaccines they have told me the only vaccine i have taken and can is

the flu vaccine. pneumonia and all the others i cannot take for sure. i don't know. it is kind of scary for people who have had transplant, you know? you have to take immunosuppressants and you have got to be careful. i have been lucky. just wear our mask and stay away from people. from we go to mary calling new port richey, florida. she says she will take it. good morning. caller: good morning. i will take it but the county says you sign into the computer. when you call in they do not have the information. i'm on a waiting list for my doctor's office and cvs does not know when, they're giving in the parking lots. you have to go on the computer and they do not have a computer available. i will get it. i have four children in the

nursing field. host: let's go to linda calling from trenton, michigan and she will get it as well. good morning. linda, are you there? i seem to have lost linda. we go to kenneth calling from buffalo, new york. good morning. caller: good morning. i am 88 years old. i intend to take the vaccination. i have had to take vaccinations all my life. when i was in the army, when i went overseas, i had to get all kinds of inoculations and i did this because it is my duty. people have to realize whether duty is. they are always talking about their rights in this country, but there are people who, for medical reasons, probably shouldn't, but it is your civic

duty to do this for the common good. that is what i'm going to do. when i went to korea to fight the war, it was my duty and i did it for my country. host: we go to paul calling from connecticut. good morning. caller: good morning. host: your answer is yes as well? caller: definitely. i'm 67 years old. no other diseases, very healthy. i will wait my turn and get it. i hear the paperwork is a bit cumbersome. i get the flu shot every year for many years and it is always done a good. i have got faith. i have been living like a hermit . long time

we would like to thank all of our callers, viewers, and guests. i'm going to remind you one more time tomorrow will be the opening day for the 117th congress. there will be a special washington journal starting at noon, live, as we follow the opening of the 117th congress. you can see that here on c-span, on c-span two, online at c-span.org, and always on the free c-span radio app. i would like to thank everybody for tuning in. continue to stay safe, washer hands, and we will see you again tomorrow on washington journal. have a great saturday everyone. ♪

♪ >> you are watching c-span, your unfiltered view of government. c-span was created by america's 1979.sion companies in today we are brought to you by these television companies that bring c-span2 you as a public service. tomorrow for opening day of the 170th congress. live coverage starts at 7 a.m. eastern on "washington journal." at 8 a.m. eastern, the house and gavel and.will the vote for the next speaker is expected at 1:15 p.m. eastern. the newly elected house speaker

will address the members, followed by the swearing in of members. watch our live, all day coverage. listen on the c-span radio app. >> on tuesday, the balance of power in the senate will be decided. republican senators david perdue and kelly leffler are defending their seats and republican control of the chamber. their challengers are jon ossoff and raphael warnock. we will have live coverage on c-span, these -- c-span.org, and the c-span radio app. facebook.com/c-span. we want to know about your experience and lands with the covid vaccine -- and plans with the covid vaccine this year.