Barbara Lee: “First of all, let me just state a fact. President Biden and Vice President Harris saved many, many, many lives.…”

“First of all, let me just state a fact. President Biden and Vice President Harris saved many, many, many lives. Secondly, this amendment would prohibit the use of funds to enforce or implement a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for individuals traveling outside of the United States. Guess what? Let me just point out that there is not and has not been a COVID vaccine requirement for travelers outside of the United States. I don't know why we would mandate people leaving the United States be vaccinated. The gentlewoman knows that. Those are requirements usually, and most of the time for countries that have those requirements, they are set by those countries for people entering their borders. Once again, this is disingenuous, and I am determined to tell the truth about what the majority is trying to do and what message they are trying to send. Setting health requirements for travelers coming into the United States may be an important health response, but that would not be a decision by the State Department. I am not sure what this amendment really is trying to achieve. As the COVID pandemic continues to remind us--and, yes, COVID is still alive and well--infectious diseases do not abide by national boundaries. While some would like to act like COVID is over, it is not. In the United States, more than 500 people die from COVID each week. That is a fact. That is a fact. It is clear to those families that COVID is not over.…”