US asylum system a 'jewel': DHS Sec. Mayorkas claims 50% reduction in border crossings since Title 42's end



Department of Homeland Security's Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas claimed border crossings are down 50% since Title 42 ended.

"Over the past two days, the United States Border Patrol has experienced a 50% drop in the number of encounters versus what we were experiencing earlier in the week before Title 42 ended at midnight on Thursday," Mayorkas said Sunday morning on CNN's "State of the Union."

Mayorkas said it is too early to determine if the anticipated surge has peaked. He said the figures from the United States Border Patrol were 6,300 on Friday and about 4,200 Saturday. He added that the figure was around 10,000 earlier in the week.

The Biden appointee made remarks on ABC's "This Week" with anchor Jonathan Karl Sunday morning, as well.

Mayorkas told Karl he "respectfully disagrees" with a judge's ruling earlier this week taking aim at a DHS policy that allowed some migrants to be released without a court date due to overcrowding.

Mayorkas attributed the surprising figures he gave to both outlets to "months and months" of advanced planning in preparation for the ending Title 42. He also said that communications efforts emphasizing "consequences" like possible deportation and a five-year ban on returning had helped stem the tide.

Over the past several days, from its Twitter account, DHS has posted short videos warning incoming migrants that the border is closed. Several of the tweets were posted in Haitian Creole and Spanish.

\u201cKontr\u00e8man ak Tit 42, lwa Tit 8 la yo enpoze konsekans imigrasyon ak krimin\u00e8l pou moun ki trav\u00e8se fwonty\u00e8 a ilegalman: sa gen ladan \u00f2donans final pou ekspilsyon, dep\u00f2tasyon, e yon ent\u00e8diksyon pou pa ka reyantre pandan senk lane. \u2b07\ufe0f \nhttps://t.co/ilo733Gfqd\u201d
— Homeland Security (@Homeland Security) 1683981905

Title 42 is a Trump-era policy that allowed incoming migrants to be denied entry based on the COVID pandemic. Title 42 ended Thursday. In the days leading up to its end, social media was awash in videos showing Texas officials behind concertina wire. Migrants, some with young children in tow, are seen scrambling up the riverbank on the opposite side of the makeshift barriers.

"The asylum system has been and continues to be a jewel of the United States," Mayorkas said on CNN when asked about the debate within the Democratic Party on how restrictive the United States should be when it comes to asylum claims.

"The cartels, the smuggling organizations, control the land. And so we have not only a security imperative, but a humanitarian responsibility to cut those smugglers out. And that's precisely what we, as an administration, [have] done," he also said, adding that more than 10,000 smugglers have already been arrested.

Throughout the week, Todd Bensman, a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, shared multiple videos on Twitter of migrants making their way across the water between Matamoros, Mexico and the Brownsville, Texas area on the opposite side.

Bensman described what he witnessed as a "human flood" and "terrible for the American public Wednesday, the day before Title 42 ended.

\u201cTexas DPS blocking migrants from entering - rare footage\u201d
— Todd Bensman (@Todd Bensman) 1683727707

Watch a segment below of DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas's interview with CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union" Sunday morning.

\u201c"The numbers that we have experienced over the past two days are markedly down"\n\nHomeland Security Secy Alejandro Mayorkas tells CNN's Dana Bash that the Biden administration has recorded a decrease in border crossings since Title 42 ended. @CNNSotu #CNNSOTU\u201d
— CNN (@CNN) 1684070887

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Are they turning on Biden? Democrats get honest about classified docs scandal: 'He should have a lot of regrets'



After yet another discovery of classified documents at President Joe Biden's private Delaware home, Senate Democrats made it clear on Sunday that Biden can no longer excuse his way out of the scandal.

On Saturday, the White House announced another set of classified material improperly in Biden's possession, again found at Biden's Wilmington, Delaware, home. The Justice Department had conducted a "consent" search (the White House claimed the administration requested it) and discovered more classified material, even some dating to Biden's days in the U.S. Senate.

What are Democrats saying?

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the No. 2 Senate Democrat, admitted on CNN's "State of the Union" that Biden can no longer attack Donald Trump for the Mar-a-Lago classified document snafu.

"Let's be honest about it: When that information is found, it diminishes the stature of any person that's in possession of them. It's not supposed to happen," Durbin said. "Whether it was the fault of a staffer or an attorney, it makes no difference. The elected official bears ultimate responsibility."

Durbin also said:

There's a standard that we follow when it comes to members of Congress and classified information. The door to my office is closed. The person who presents the document to me takes it out of a locked briefcase, hands it to me and watches as I read it, when I finish reading it, and he takes it back and puts it in the briefcase and leaves the scene.I mean, that's how carefully we review these documents.

To think that any of them ended up in boxes in storage one place or the other is just unacceptable.
\u201c\u201cTo think that any of them ended up in boxes and storage in one place or the other is just unacceptable.\u201d\n\nSen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) reacts to FBI investigators finding additional classified material at President Biden's Wilmington, Delaware, home. #CNNSOTU @CNNSotu\u201d
— CNN (@CNN) 1674400974

Meanwhile, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) was asked on CBS News' "Face the Nation" how Biden could have improperly retained classified documents from his days as a senator.

"I don't really know the answer to that question because I review classified material as a senator on the Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, but when I do it, it's always in a classified facility where I don't have access to the materials other than to sit there and read them," Kaine responded.

He continued, "That's why there needs to be this independent investigation and independent prosecutor. How many documents are we talking about? Dozens? A handful or hundreds? How serious are they? Why were they taken? Did anyone have access to them? And then, is the president being cooperative?"

Face The Nation: Kaine, Mayor Panel www.youtube.com

On NBC's "Meet the Press," Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said that Biden should have "a lot of regrets." Manchin was responding to Biden's declaration last week that he has no regrets for retaining the classified documents.

"I think he should have a lot of regrets," Manchin said.

"I say, whoever's responsible — I mean, if I hold people accountable, whether it be my chief of staff or, you know, my staff that were doing this and I'm looking at — then I'm going to hold someone accountable, but basically, the buck stops with me," he added.

Anything else?

A new Yahoo News/YouGov poll shows that a majority of American adults — including registered Democrats — support an investigation into Biden's improper retention of classified documents.

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Senate's top gun-control advocate squashes Biden's hope for more gun control, assault weapons ban



Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a top gun-control advocate, dismissed on Sunday the possibility that lawmakers will pass new gun-control legislation before Republicans take control of the House in January.

What is the background?

After two mass shootings last week, President Joe Biden demanded that Congress pass "stricter gun control" laws before the new Congress convenes in January.

"The idea we still allow semiautomatic weapons to be purchased is sick. It's just sick. It has no, no social redeeming value. Zero. None. Not a single, solitary rationale for it except profit for the gun manufacturers," Biden said on Friday.

He also confirmed that he is "going to try to get rid of assault weapons" during the lame-duck session in Congress.

But what did Murphy say?

Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union," Murphy admitted an assault weapons ban passed by the House is unlikely to pass the Senate.

"I'm glad that President Biden is going to be pushing us to take a vote on an assault weapons ban. The House has already passed it. It's sitting in front of the Senate," Murphy began.

"Does it have 60 votes in the Senate right now? Probably not," he explained.

"But let's see if we can try to get that number as close to 60 as possible," the senator continued. "If we don't have the votes, then we will talk to [Senate Majority Leader Chuck] Schumer and maybe come back next year with maybe an additional senator and see if we can do better."

Murphy also suggested the federal government should punish so-called "Second Amendment sanctuary" localities.

"They have decided that they are going to essentially refuse to implement laws that are on the books. That is a growing problem in this country," Murphy claimed. "And I think we’re gonna have to have a conversation about that in the United States Senate. Do we want to continue to supply funding to law enforcement in counties that refuse to implement state and federal gun laws?"

Second Amendment sanctuary states and cities, however, generally have not vowed to outright ignore laws.

Rather, they have simply passed resolutions vowing to protect the Second Amendment and not enforce controversial gun control measures whose constitutionality, and thus legality, is disputed. Indeed, promising to enforce Second Amendment rights is enforcing the law.

\u201c"They've decided they're going to essentially refuse to implement laws that are on the books. That is a growing problem in this country." -\nSen. Murphy says Congress needs to consider not funding law enforcement in counties that don't enforce federal gun laws. @CNNSotu #CNNSOTU\u201d
— CNN (@CNN) 1669559128

Longtime Democratic strategist explains why Democrats will suffer crushing midterm loss: 'We did not listen to voters in this election'



A longtime Democratic strategist issued a dire warning to Democrats ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.

Hilary Rosen – a self-described "strong, progressive Democrat" – slammed her own political party for not listening to voters.

Commenting on Democrats' chances in Tuesday's midterm elections, Rosen admitted, "I'm a loyal Democrat, but I am not happy. I just think that we are – we did not listen to voters in this election. And I think we're going to have a bad night."

"And this conversation is not going to have much impact on Tuesday, but I hope it has an impact going forward," Rosen said during an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday. "Because when voters tell you over and over and over again that they care mostly about the economy – listen to them."

Rosen blasted Democrats' midterm messaging that "democracy is at risk" if Republicans make significant gains in Tuesday's election.

Rosen implored Democrats, "Stop talking about democracy being at stake."

"Democracy is at stake because people are fighting so much about what elections mean," she continued. "I mean, voters have told us what they wanted to hear. And I don't think Democrats have really delivered in this cycle."

Former Democratic politician Bakari Sellers agreed, "I think that's actually very true about the national messaging that's going on."

He then claimed that Democratic candidates such as Mark Kelly, Raphael Warnock, Josh Shapiro, John Fetterman, and Tim Ryan have had effective messaging about the economy. All of the candidates that Sellers mentioned, except for Shapiro, are locked in tight races and are in jeopardy of losing to Republicans.

Rosen noted that the massive popularity of Republican Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake has elevated Blake Masters in his race against Kelly.

She also blamed Democrats polling poorly on President Joe Biden's unpopularity, "We're in trouble because of the top of the ticket."

Former Mike Pence Chief of Staff Marc Short pointed out, "But I feel like – I feel like Blake Masters is going to win Arizona because the reality is that the border is a serious issue down there."

Short then agreed with Rosen but added, "And to Hilary's point, they're not – the Democrats have not talked about – how, what are we going to do to fix inflation at a 40-year high? What are we going to do to control the border? What are we going to do to handle crime?"

Rosen then claimed that Americans like the economic policies of Democrats over Republicans.

A new ABC News/Washington Post poll disputes Rosen's claim.

The poll found that the top midterm election issues were the economy (80%), inflation (77%), and education and schools (75%). The Democrat Party's midterm priorities of threats to democracy (74%) and abortion (62%) were lower on the list.

When Americans were asked which political party would handle the economy better, the poll found that 52% preferred Republicans to only 38% for Democrats.

\u201c"I'm a loyal Democrat, but I am not happy."\n\nCNN political commentators @hilaryr, @Bakari_Sellers, and @marctshort discuss whether or not Democrats have a winning message for the midterms two days out from election day. @CNNSotu #CNNSOTU\u201d
— CNN (@CNN) 1667747299

CNN anchor gives top Dem Senate candidate many chances to support abortion limits, but he refuses



Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan, who is battling Republican J.D. Vance in Ohio for a United States Senate seat, refused on Sunday to support restrictions on abortion.

What happened?

Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union," anchor Dana Bash noted that Ryan is fiercely critical of Vance for appearing not to support abortion exceptions.

"I want to ask about your position: What restrictions, if any, do you believe there should be on abortion?" Bash then asked.

What followed was a two-minute exchange in which Ryan repeatedly said the abortion decision ultimately rests with a mother and her physician. At no point, however, did Ryan endorse abortion restrictions, even as Bash pressed him on the issue.

"Ultimately, this needs to be a decision between the woman and her doctor," Ryan said.

"And, of course, we don't support abortion at the end of term, unless, of course, there is an extraordinary circumstance where, you know, you're eight months into a pregnancy and something very tragic is happening in that pregnancy, where, you know, you have a room, you have bought toys, you have clothing for the baby, everyone's excited, you know, and then something tragic happens," he continued. "That needs to be left up to the doctor, not to J.D. Vance or Ted Cruz or anybody else."

\u201c"Ultimately this needs to be a decision between a woman and her doctor."\nRep. @TimRyan (D-OH) speaks to anchor @DanaBashCNN about his position on abortion restrictions.\n@CNNSotu #CNNSOTU\u201d
— CNN (@CNN) 1661695626

"But, as a legislator, you have to have some idea of what you want to do when you're not a doctor. So should there be some restrictions when it comes to the law of the land?" Bash pressed.

"Well, ultimately, I think the decider has to be the woman and her doctor," Ryan said again. "We can't account for every single scenario."

Bash then pointed out the obvious. Ryan had dodged her attempts to explicitly state whether he supports placing limits on abortion.

"It sounds like you're saying no restrictions," she told Ryan.

Ryan, however, again declined to state that any legal restrictions should be enacted on abortions, only saying that no one supports abortion "towards the end."

"I think they're — no one's supporting abortion towards the end, absolutely. No one's for that. That rarely happens," Ryan hedged.

"But what we're saying is, are we going to preserve the woman's right to choose at the end to save her own life? I mean, come on," he added. "Like, should the government really be in there? That sounds very anti-American."

What does Vance say?

Vance indeed last year argued against abortion exceptions for cases of rape and incest, which compose a tiny percentage of abortions in America.

However, Vance told NBC News after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade that he supports individual states choosing which direction to take on the controversial issue.

"I think it makes sense right now to let the states decide this stuff," Vance said

Republican Rep. Liz Cheney loses to Trump-backed challenger Harriet Hageman in Wyoming GOP primary



Incumbent Republican Rep. Liz Cheney has been defeated by Harriet Hageman in the GOP primary for Wyoming's at-large congressional district.

Decision Desk HQ has projected Hageman as the victor in the widely-watched contest.

Cheney, who was one of the 10 House Republicans to vote in favor of impeaching then-President Donald Trump last year in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, was ousted from her role as House Republican conference chair last year. She is one of the two Republican lawmakers sitting on the House select committee established to investigate the Jan. 6 episode.

Democratic lawmakers had urged people to vote for Cheney in the GOP primary — Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota encouraged people to "please consider temporarily switching parties and voting for Liz Cheney on or by August 16th."

\u201cAfter escaping the Capitol on Jan 6, a few of us huddled in a safe room, glued to a tv in disbelief. It was there that @Liz_Cheney vowed to hold those responsible to account. Her principles transcend politics, and I\u2019m inviting Wyoming Dem and Ind voters to do the same on 8/16.\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\u201d
— Dean Phillips \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Dean Phillips \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1659980580

Former Republican President George W. Bush had given the maximum allowable donation of $2,900 to back Cheney in the primary, according to the Houston Chronicle, which noted that Karl Rove also shelled out the maximum donation — Rove served as a senior advisor and as deputy chief of staff to Bush.

Cheney is the daughter of Dick Cheney, who served as vice president during Bush's White House tenure. In a campaign ad for his daughter, Dick Cheney declared, "There is nothing more important she will ever do than lead the effort to make sure Donald Trump is never again near the Oval Office. And she will succeed."

Former President Donald Trump had endorsed Hageman last year while calling Cheney a "warmonger and disloyal Republican" as well as a "RINO," which is an acronym of the phrase "Republican in name only."

"If the cost of standing up for the Constitution is losing the House seat, then that's a price I'm willing to pay," Cheney has said, according to the New York Times.

During an interview last month, Cheney told CNN's Jake Tapper that no matter the outcome of the primary contest, she will "continue to fight hard to ensure Donald Trump is never anywhere close to the Oval Office ever again." In response to a question from Tapper about the possibility of mounting a presidential bid, Cheney said that she would "make a decision about 2024 down the road."

\u201c"I'm going to\u2026 continue to fight hard to ensure Donald Trump is never anywhere close to the Oval Office ever again."\n\n@RepLizCheney discusses the possibility of losing her seat in the House because of her work on the Jan. 6 committee. @CNNSotu #CNNSOTU\u201d
— CNN (@CNN) 1658670064

CNN tries to get Boris Johnson to bash the US — but he refuses to take the bait: 'A shining city on a hill'



British Prime Minister Boris Johnson refused to bash the United States on Sunday when asked if he is "worried" about a decline of democracy in America.

What happened?

Speaking with CNN anchor Jake Tapper on "State of the Union," Tapper claimed his international friends are voicing concern that American democracy is eroding. Johnson promptly dismissed such concerns.

"When I talk to friends in Canada, the U.K., Australia, and elsewhere, people express concern about the United States— in terms of our ability and our institutions to thrive and continue after what happened with the election of 2020," Tapper began. "They’re worried that democracy is on life support in the United States."

"Are you worried at all?" Tapper asked.

"No!" Johnson immediately responded.

"You're not?" Tapper followed up.

"I want to say this to the people of the United States: I'm not," Johnson confirmed.

"I guess get back to what I have been trying to say to you throughout this interview, I think that reports of the death of democracy in the United States are grossly, grossly exaggerated. America is a shining city on a hill," Johnson explained. "And it will continue to be so."

\u201c"I think that reports of the death of democracy in the United States are grossly, grossly exaggerated." \n\nBritish Prime Minister @BorisJohnson tells CNN's @jaketapper why he is not concerned about the state of US democracy. @CNNSotu #CNNSOTU\u201d
— CNN (@CNN) 1656253671

When Tapper pressed Johnson further about the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, Johnson admitted it was "pretty weird" but refused to criticize America.

"Looking from the outside, it was pretty weird," Johnson said. "But I don't believe that American democracy is under serious threat, far from it. I continue to believe that America is the greatest global guarantor of democracy and freedom."

Anything else?

Earlier in the interview, however, Johnson reaffirmed his declaration that America took a "big step backwards" when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Johnson described the high court ruling as "important psychologically for people around the world," but he denied that it diminishes the U.S. as the global symbol of freedom.

"The United States for me, it remains a shining city on the hill," Johnson said. "And it's an incredible guarantor of values, democracy, freedom around the world."

Recession approaching? Clinton-era Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers says 'it's more likely than not that we'll have a recession within the next two years'



Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said last week that there is no indication that a recession is looming — but former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers disagrees.

"I think when inflation is as high as it is right now," while "unemployment is as low as it is right now, it's almost always been followed within two years ... by recession," Summers said during an interview on CNN's "State of the Union."

"I look at what's happening in the stock and bond markets. I look at where consumer sentiment is. I think there's certainly a risk of recession in the next year. And I think given where we've gotten to, it's more likely than not that we'll have a recession within the next two years," he said.

\u201c"It's more likely than not we'll have a recession within the next two years."\n\nFormer Treasury Secretary @LHSummers tells @DanaBashCNN why he disagrees with current Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's projection that a recession is not on the horizon. @CNNSotu #CNNSOTU\u201d
— CNN (@CNN) 1655043328

Americans have been getting slammed by soaring inflation.

"Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 8.6 percent before seasonal adjustment," the Bureau of Labor Statistics noted in a consumer price index report released on Friday. "The all items index increased 8.6 percent for the 12 months ending May, the largest 12-month increase since the period ending December 1981."

As of Monday, the AAA national average price for a gallon of regular gas has hit a whopping $5.014 per gallon.

President Joe Biden has been saying that combatting inflation is his number one "economic priority."

The stock market plunged on Monday, with the S&P 500 falling 3.88%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average declining 2.79%, and the Nasdaq Composite losing 4.68%.

"I think the banana Republicans who are saying that what happened on January 6th was nothing or OK, are undermining the basic credibility of our country's institutions, and that in turn feeds through, uh, for inflation, because if you can't trust the country's government, why should you trust, uh, its money?" Summers said.

Summers' tenure as Treasury secretary occurred during a portion of President Bill Clinton's time in office — Summers also spent time serving as the director of the National Economic Council during a portion of President Barack Obama's tenure.

\u201cFmr. Treasury Sec. @LHSummers: "I think the banana Republicans who are saying that what happened on Jan. 6 was nothing or OK are undermining the basic credibility of our country's institutions... if you can't trust the country's govt, why should you trust its money?" #CNNSOTU\u201d
— State of the Union (@State of the Union) 1655046242

CNN anchor corners top Biden official with her own words on inflation crisis: 'You got it wrong, too'



CNN anchor Jake Tapper confronted Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on Sunday over why the Biden administration has been "caught flat-footed" in responding to several crises.

What about inflation?

Tapper began the interview by using Raimondo's own words to show that she was wrong about the trajectory of inflation.

After noting that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen admitted last week that she was wrong about inflation, Tapper said, "As recently as six months ago, you were calling inflation a ‘short-term problem,’ not a long-term problem. So, you got it wrong too."

\u201cCNN'S JAKE TAPPER: "As recently as six months ago, you were calling inflation 'a short-term problem, not a long-term problem.'"\n\nCOMMERCE SECRETARY GINA RAIMONDO: "I still think we will get inflation under control, we just have to stick with it."\u201d
— RNC Research (@RNC Research) 1654438112

Raimondo, however, was unwilling to offer a mea culpa. Instead, she recycled the Biden administration's trite talking points that blame Russian President Vladimir Putin, supply chain problems, and COVID-19 for the inflation crisis.

But when she attempted to use Larry Summers — treasury secretary in the Clinton administration and a top adviser in the Obama administration — to bolster her case, Tapper quickly dispelled her claims.

"You heard Larry Summers, a top economist, just yesterday saying (sic) you're starting to see— you know, you're starting to see inflation come down," Raimondo said.

"Well, all due respect, Madam Secretary, Larry Summers, a year ago, more than a year ago, was saying that the Biden administration was putting too much money into the economy, flooding too much money into the economy, and he was concerned about inflation," Tapper corrected.

"And Biden administration officials said that Larry Summers was wrong. And it turned out Larry Summers was right," he added bluntly.

\u201cCNN's Jake Tapper roasts Biden Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo for repeatedly ignoring warnings of surging inflation.\n\nRAIMONDO: "Uh, I don't really agree with that characterization..."\u201d
— RNC Research (@RNC Research) 1654438004

What about the baby formula crisis?

Noting that President Joe Biden admitted last week that he did not learn about the baby formula shortage until April, Tapper asked Raimondo when she learned of the crisis.

Raimondo, like the president, claimed she only learned about the problem in April. However, the White House released a statement on May 12 explaining the federal government, including Raimondo's department, had been working "diligently" for months to address the problem.

"We're talking about two critical issues here that directly affect the American people where they live where the Biden administration looks like it was caught flat-footed," Tapper responded. "Why does it seem the Biden administration is consistently playing clean-up on these problems that are playing out exactly as many experts forecast they would, instead of heading them off before they become a crisis?"

In response, Raimondo only saved face for Biden, claiming Americans are enjoying, "fundamentally ... a robust economic recovery," which she attributed to Biden's "leadership."

\u201c"Why does it seem the Biden administration is consistently playing clean-up on these problems that are playing out exactly as many experts forecast they would?"\n\n@jaketapper presses @SecRaimondo on the inflation and baby formula problems in the US. @CNNSotu #CNNSOTU\u201d
— CNN (@CNN) 1654438855

Dr. Fauci now pushing for COVID-19 vaccine mandate for children to attend school: 'A good idea'



As the nation debates whether children should be forced to wear face masks at school, Dr. Anthony Fauci is now advocating for COVID-19 vaccination to be a condition of attending school.

What are the details?

Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, said on CNN's "State of the Union" the COVID-19 vaccine should be added to the list of vaccines that most schools require students to have before admission.

"I believe that mandating vaccines for children to appear in school is a good idea," Fauci said.

"This is not something new. We have mandates in many places in schools, particularly public schools, that if, in fact, you want a child to come in, we have done this for decades and decades, requiring polio, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis," he continued. "So this would not be something new, requiring vaccinations for children to come to school."

Fauci, however, conceded that he understands "that a lot of people will be pushing back against" making COVID-19 vaccination a requirement for school attendance.

“I believe that mandating vaccines for children to appear in school is a good idea,” Dr. Anthony Fauci says about C… https://t.co/ouSCVCha42

— State of the Union (@CNNSotu) 1630247581.0

Currently, the Food and Drug Administration has approved the COVID-19 vaccine for people age 12 and older. The age restriction preventing children under 12 from receiving the vaccine complicates Fauci's proposal.

However, in a separate interview on ABC's "This Week," Fauci predicted the FDA could give clearance by October for children younger than 12 to receive the vaccine. Last week, Fauci said clearance could come before the holiday season, Reuters noted.

Have any schools implemented a COVID vaccine mandate?

Earlier this month, the Culver City Unified School District in California likely became the first school district in the nation to enact such a requirement.

The Los Angeles Times reported:

Culver City schools Supt. Quoc Tran said the student vaccine mandate was issued after safety protocol discussions with the school board, teacher and employee unions and parents — who agreed that the requirement would help protect their schools as much as possible. The district, which serves 7,100 K-12 students, has 900 employees, who also must be vaccinated.

"We felt that doing the minimum is not quite good enough. We could do more," Tran said. "We are in the context of constantly crowded places in school settings. The vaccine helps in case our children or staff members contract the virus. They have a lesser chance to be severely impacted."

According to the Los Angeles Times, the decision was praised by parents, students, and public health officials. Tran said there was minimal pushback to the district's decision.