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WASHINGTON – This week, U. S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-2nd), joined by House Representatives Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Matt Gaetz (R – Fla.), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Bill Posey (R-Fla.), Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), and David McKinley (R-W.Va.) introduced House Resolution 197 that calls on Congress to prioritize the vaccination of Americans from Covid before exporting doses to foreign countries.
According to a release, the Covid spending package passed by Congress contains nearly $750 million for global health spending for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to combat Covid, including efforts related to global immunization. As the U.S. continues to build on its earlier vaccination efforts, it is vital that work continues without interruptions to vaccine supply or distribution as a result of exports to foreign nations.
Van Drew, McKinley, Carter, Posey, and Gosar issued the following statements:
“Thanks to the generosity of the American taxpayer and the success of Operation Warp Speed, we now have three FDA-authorized Covid-19 vaccines that are saving untold numbers of lives and putting an end to this pandemic. Congress has a responsibility to ensure that every American who wants a vaccine can get one before doses are sent to foreign countries. Now is not the time for foreign handouts, our public health institutions should continue prioritizing the health and wellbeing of the American people,” stated Van Drew.
“In the midst of a public health emergency, Congress put forth trillions of dollars in resources to prioritize the development, manufacturing, and distribution of a Covid-19 vaccine,” stated McKinley. “Americans should receive the benefits of this unprecedented all-of-government response to the Covid-19 pandemic. This resolution puts Americans first and ensures that every American who wants a vaccine can get one.”
“As Georgians wait in line for the Covid vaccine, this resolution is common sense. Any and all Americans who want a Covid vaccine should absolutely get one before we send them to other countries. Vaccinations will save lives here in America and are critical to returning to a normal way of life. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues to fight to ensure Americans receive vaccines first,” stated Carter.
“It’s just common sense to make sure American taxpayers, who funded the efforts to bring these vaccines to market so quickly, can get a vaccine if they would like one before we start shipping them overseas,” stated Posey.
“I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of the Vaccinate America First Resolution. Until every American that wants a Covid-19 vaccine is able to receive the injection, we should not be exporting our nation’s precious serum supply to foreign countries, and certainly not China. With long wait lines and shortages across much of our country, the last thing we should be doing is redirecting vaccines anywhere outside our border,” stated Gosar.
