Terminating Cdc Requirement for Proof of Covid-19 Vaccination for Foreign Travelers

Floor Speech

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Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Chair, I rise today to offer amendment No. 5 to H.R. 185.

The decision to change COVID-19 vaccine requirements for global travelers into the United States should not be made by Members of Congress but instead by public health experts.

Colleagues, if we must continue with this reckless bill that puts politics over science by replacing guidance from our public health experts with harmful ideology at the expense of our communities, our hospitals, and our health, then I would ask for your support for my amendment.

Knowing that other countries have different health standards, have little access to vaccines for COVID, why would you risk the number of hospital beds that are currently available for yourselves, your families, your community that you represent, why would you risk that to allow visitors who are traveling into the United States to not show the bare minimum of having had a vaccine?

My amendment would require that the Secretary of Health and Human Services certify that the end of the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for foreign air travelers will not result in an increase in U.S. hospitalizations due to this deadly virus.

We do not want to threaten the progress that we have made in our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and push hospitals, healthcare providers, and public health resources past their breaking points again.

COVID-19 is still a public health threat, with new variants of concern having emerged globally and entering the U.S. every single day.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to please, if you must move forward with this bill, vote in support of this commonsense amendment to protect our constituents, our hospitals, and our healthcare system.

Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

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