A Biden administration official is declaring that it is “absolutely” the government’s business knowing who has been vaccinated or not vaccinated.
U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra was asked Thursday during a “New Day” interview about criticism from some Republican lawmakers on the Biden administration’s “door-to-door outreach” recently announced.
Asked about a remark that it is “none of the government’s business” knowing who has or has not been vaccinated, Becerra responded, “The federal government has spent trillions of dollars to try to keep Americans alive during this pandemic. So it is absolutely the government’s business. It is taxpayers’ business.”
“It is our business to try to make sure Americans can prosper, Americans can freely associate,” he continued. “And knocking on the door has never been against the law. You don’t have to answer, but we hope you do.”
Watch the video below:
Becerra: “We want to give people the sense that they have the freedom to choose. But we hope they choose to live … We hope people make the right choices … But we are America. We try to give people as much freedom and choice as possible. But … ” pic.twitter.com/vBCmLYNImj
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) July 8, 2021
Becerra was responding to remarks from Republicans including Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), who wrote on Twitter, “How about don’t knock on my door. You’re not my parents. You’re the government. Make the vaccine available, and let people be free to choose. Why is that concept so hard for the left?”
“It’s NONE of the governments business knowing who has or hasn’t been vaccinated,” Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) also tweeted.
How about don’t knock on my door.
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) July 6, 2021
You’re not my parents. You’re the government. Make the vaccine available, and let people be free to choose.
Why is that concept so hard for the left? https://t.co/Fkv3kzNh6S
It's NONE of the governments business knowing who has or hasn't been vaccinated. https://t.co/XgjYggRUFh
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) July 6, 2021
Becerra also said during Thursday’s interview, “We want to give people the sense that they have the freedom to choose. But we hope they choose to live.”
“We hope people make the right choices … But we are America. We try to give people as much freedom and choice as possible,” he continued, before adding that the “best choice” is to get vaccinated.
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden announced strategies to encourage Americans to get vaccinated. This includes “door-to-door outreach.”
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the door-to-door outreach will “get remaining Americans vaccinated by ensuring they have the information they need on how both safe and accessible the vaccine is.”
Roughly 182.9 million people in the U.S. have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, which includes about 157.9 million people who are fully vaccinated, according to The New York Times.
