A new bill introduced in the House of Representatives will terminate the requirement imposed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention that foreign air travelers must show proof of COVID-19 vaccine to enter the United States. H.R. 185 was sponsored by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and currently has 22 Republican co-sponsors.
The bill passed the House of Representatives on Feb. 8 and was placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar. The Senate has yet to vote on it.
“[W]hy do we subject visitors who want to see their families to this COVID-19 double standard?,” Rep. Massie said. “The CDC’s unscientific mandate is separating too many people from their families and has been doing so for far too long. It needs to end.”
The bill will also no longer use Federal funds to “administer, implement, or enforce air travel vaccination requirements for foreign travelers.” And it will require the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to submit a report to Congress within 90 days on the enactment of the bill with the statistics on travelers who were denied entry into the U.S., Causes.com reported.
The argument against the bill states that this could put “American health care at risk,” goes against “settled science surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine” and could slow down America’s response to “emerging variants,” Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) said.
“The decision to revise or revoke our country’s public health guidance concerning COVID-19 vaccine requirements should rest in the hands of our public health experts—not Congress,” Rep. McCollum said.
COMMENTS