Should Congress require that individuals are fully vaccinated before flying into and out of the United States?
This bill directs the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to ensure that any individual traveling on a flight that departs from or arrives at an airport inside the United States or a U.S. territory is fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The TSA must also ensure that there is an exception to the requirement for an individual who is ineligible or medically unable to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Sponsor: Rep. Ritchie Torres (Democrat, New York, District 15)
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Opponents say
• "It is outrageous that the Biden administration is contemplating new regulations or guidelines to require passengers to undergo COVID-19 testing before domestic air travel. This is another unscientific, bureaucratic action designed to control Americans’ lives and increase dependence on government. Further, such a mandate would devastate the airline industry and destroy massive sectors of our recovering economy …" Source: Rep. Andy Biggs (Republican, Arizona, District 5)
• "Such a mandate would be counterproductive, costly, and have serious unintended consequences" Source: Southwest Airlines Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly
Proponents say
• "The Transportation Security Administration prevents people from entering airplanes and airports with weapons. There’s a sense in which the Delta variant is a weapon. It’s a biological weapon … I would argue that there’s no greater threat to the homeland security of the United States than the delta variant." Source: Rep. Ritchie Torres (Democrat, New York, District 15)
• "It is absolute insanity that you can get on an airplane in America without vaccination." Source: Mark Levine (New York City Council, District 7)
