Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) is introducing legislation that would ban the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) from requiring proof of vaccination for domestic flights.
In a statement on Wednesday, Scott said, “Americans are working hard to recover from the devastation of COVID-19, and travel is critical to getting our economy fully re-opened.”
“While I continue to encourage everyone who wants one to get the vaccine, the federal government has no business requiring travelers to turn over their personal medical information to catch a flight. My Freedom to Fly Act ensures families in Florida and across the country can travel freely and without the ridiculous government bureaucracy created by vaccine passports,” he added.
At least 20 governors have said they oppose the idea of requiring a vaccine passport or some kind of proof of vaccination.
During a press briefing in April, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, “The government is not now, nor will we be supporting a system that requires Americans to carry a credential. There will be no federal vaccinations database and no federal mandate requiring everyone to obtain a single vaccination credential.”
.@PressSec Jen Psaki on possibility of the federal government supporting vaccine passports: "The government is not now, nor will we be supporting a system that requires Americans to carry a credential."
— CSPAN (@cspan) April 6, 2021
Full video here: https://t.co/TLFF718hVo pic.twitter.com/jJP0Ph95jH
A May Gallup survey found that 57% of Americans say they support vaccine passports for airline travel, and 55% said they support proof of vaccination for concerts or sports.
However, a majority of Americans said they oppose having to disclose their vaccination status to go to restaurants, work, or hotels.