LaMalfa Urges Biden and Newsom to Keep Vaccines Voluntary

(Washington, DC) – Congressman Doug LaMalfa issued the following statement after recent announcements by Governor Newsom mandating COVID-19 vaccination for all state employees and by President Biden for Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare employees.

Rep. LaMalfa said, "Healthcare workers, federal, state, and university employees have contacted my office expressing concerns with the recent accountments of mandated COVID-19 vaccination while it is still under an Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. Some have said that they are considering retiring rather than abiding by these mandates. Losing doctors or healthcare workers to retirement would be devastating to our already underserved rural and urban areas. The fact that doctors at the VA were who the Biden Administration chose to experiment with this mandate is unacceptable as our veterans already struggle to receive the care they need. Vaccines should by voluntary, and I have two bills aimed at ensuring that neither the government nor private companies can dictate the health decisions of free Americans."

H.R. 2414, the Keep Vaccines Voluntary Act will:

• Prohibit businesses denying service based on vaccination status,
• Prohibit employers, including the federal government, from requiring that their employees receive the COVID-19 vaccine,
• Prohibit institutions of higher education from separating individuals based on COVID-19 vaccination status, and
• Prohibit state and local governments from making rules that separate individuals based on COVID-19 vaccination status.

H.R. 2323, the No Vaccine Passports Act will:

• Require that the Secretary of Transportation prohibit air carriers from denying an individual air transportation solely because such individual lacks a COVID-19 vaccine,
• Prohibit Amtrak from denying rail transportation to an individual solely because such individual lacks a COVID-19 vaccine, and
• Prohibit funds from being used to create or administer a database of individuals who have received a vaccine against COVID-19, or for any federal agency to require proof that an individual has received it.

Congressman Doug LaMalfa is a lifelong farmer representing California's First Congressional District, including Butte, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou and Tehama Counties.