Aiken Times

Washington, D.C.—On May 19, Congressman Duncan released resources and information on the end of the federal COVID shot mandate. On May 1, the Biden Administration announced that the federal COVID shot requirement for Federal Employees, Contractors, International Travelers, Head Start Educators, and CMS-Certified Facilities would be phased out beginning with the end of the public health emergency on May 11. For federal employees, federal contractors, and international air travelers, the federal COVID shot mandate officially ended on May 11 when the COVID public health emergency ended. HHS announced they would start the process of ending COVID shot mandate requirements for Head Start educators and CMS-certified healthcare facilities beginning on May 11 at the end of the public health emergency. For more information on the end of the federal COVID shot mandate, click HERE, HERE, and HERE. Click HERE for Congressman Duncan's initial statement on the May 1 announcement. 

"I have repeatedly fought the COVID shot mandate at every turn," said Congressman Jeff Duncan. "The authoritarian COVID shot mandates were unscientific and un-American, and I’m glad to see the White House has finally 'followed the science' to end federal COVID shot mandates on Americans."

Background:  On April 24, Congressman Duncan led a letter with Congressman Vern Buchanan to the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to urge them to end the COVID-19 vaccine mandate on America’s healthcare workers when the public health emergency ends on May 11, 2023. On January 31, the House passed Congressman Duncan's bill, the Freedom for Health Care Workers Act with bipartisan support. In the last Congress, Congressman Duncan led House Republicans in opposing President Biden's CMS COVID shot mandate through a resolution under a Congressional Review Act that would halt the federal mandate on healthcare employees. Congressman Duncan has continually called on agencies and federal government officials to end the COVID shot mandate. 

At the height of COVID, there was a federal COVID shot mandate for the military, CMS healthcare workers, OSHA private sector workers, federal contractors and employees, and international air travelers. Very few Americans were untouched by Joe Biden’s medical tyranny and overreaching mandates. But as of May 11, none of those mandates will no longer permanently be in place when the public health emergency is officially over for federal employees, federal contractors, and international air travelers, and agencies begin the process of ending the federal COVID shot mandates for CMS healthcare workers and Head Start educators. 

Congressman Duncan has fought to end all federal COVID shot mandates from the beginning. Congressman Duncan passed the Freedom for Health Care Workers Act, called on the Biden Administration countless times, pressured government agencies, and took legislative action every chance he got to stand up for liberty and push back against this authoritarianism. See Congressman Duncan's Previous Work on this Issue: 

• Reps. Duncan, Buchanan, Lead Letter to HHS, CMS to End COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Healthcare Workers | Congressman Jeff Duncan (house.gov)
• Rep. Duncan’s Freedom for Health Care Workers Act Passes House with Bipartisan Support | Congressman Jeff Duncan
• Rep. Duncan Introduces Freedom for Health Care Workers Act | Congressman Jeff Duncan (house.gov)
• Rep. Duncan Leads GOP in Opposing Biden’s CMS Vaccine Mandate | Congressman Jeff Duncan (house.gov)
• Rep. Duncan Leads in Filing Discharge Petition Regarding CMS COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate | Congressman Jeff Duncan (house.gov)
• Rep. Duncan Leads in Calling Pelosi to Nullify Biden’s Healthcare COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate | Congressman Jeff Duncan (house.gov)
• Rep. Duncan Applauds the Halt of CMS Vaccine Mandates Nationwide | Congressman Jeff Duncan (house.gov)
• Duncan Leads Letter Over CMS Vaccine Mandate Concerns | Congressman Jeff Duncan (house.gov)

Original source can be found here.