JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Sen. Brian Nieves will be missed in the Senate. This pit bull couldn’t understand why Michael Brickman would get on a plane and fly from Washington, DC to Jefferson City, Missouri to testify in favor of Common Core.

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“Who’s paying you to be here?” Nieves asked.

Brickman responded his employer, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, was paying.

“I’m not sure why I quite understand why a person gets on an airplane in Washington, DC to come to Missouri to advocate on behalf of these standards. I’m not fully clear on that,” Nieves told Brickman.

When pressed, Brickman said, “Because I’m concerned that Missouri will have the worst standards in the country.”

The audience reacted with a mixture of groans and laughter, causing Committee Chairman Sen. Dave Pearce to admonish them for their outburst.

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Nieves wasn’t done, though. He began asking about the Fordham Institute, Brickman’s employer.

“Is there any connection to Gates,” Nieves asked, referring to Bill Gates.

“I believe we’ve received some grants from them,” Brickman responded.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has donated millions to The Fordham Institute, and are big proponents of Common Core.

Authored by Duane Lester