Old one President Trump
Donald TrumpBorder shuffles immigration debate in the Senate Republican Party seeks measures to prevent trans athletes from gathering voters. this week has taken the remarkable step of encouraging everyone in the country – even its reluctant followers – to get a COVID-19 vaccine. But the message was slow to reach the House Republicans.
As vaccines become more readily available – and Trump has joined the country’s health experts to pressure the public to get one as soon as it is eligible – there is a different message coming from a series of conservatives in the lower house, who fear violating the freedom of individuals to make their own health decisions.
“The choice is up to the individual, whatever he wants to do,” said the representative. Tim Burchett
Timothy (Tim) Floyd BurchettHouse Republican Party resisters confuse Trump’s vaccine message READ: Republicans who voted to challenge election results Republican Party legislator: ‘Very cool’ Harris has a chance to be the ‘most powerful person in the world ‘MORE (R-Tenn.). “And if they want to do that, it’s their problem; if they don’t, it’s their problem. … It shouldn’t be a witch hunt. “
Deputy Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), President of conservative House Freedom Caucus, echoed that sentiment on Wednesday, comparing current pressure for vaccines with the security fence surrounding the Capitol after the January 6 deadly attack. unnecessary precautions in the effort to reopen the Capitol complex safely, Biggs said, and both are part of Democrats’ efforts to exercise “control” over the general public.
“I don’t think it is an important part of this reopening. … Vaccinations [are] it’s not part of the business, because it’s control, that’s it. When you have most of the people who have already been vaccinated, that is no longer the problem, ”said Biggs, referring to the approximately 75 percent of House legislators who have been vaccinated to date.
That message runs counter to the one delivered by Trump on Tuesday night, when he appeared on Fox News for a lengthy interview that included a strong endorsement of universal vaccination.
“I would recommend it to many people who don’t want to get it. And many of these people voted for me, frankly, ”said Trump.
“We have our freedom and we have to live up to it. And I agree with that too, ”continued Trump. “But it is a great vaccine. It is a safe vaccine. And it works. “
Trump made similar comments last month during the Annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), where he told participants, as an aside, to “give it a try”. But Fox’s interview represented his most extensive observations on the subject since the vaccines were launched in December. And they came as people in Trump’s orbit pressured him to be more vocal and urge his followers to get vaccinated, lawmakers said.
“I am very happy that he told people to get the vaccine,” said Rep. Tom Cole
Thomas (Tom) Jeffrey ColeHouse Republican Party Resistants Confuse Trump’s Vaccine Message House Democrats are willing to make proxy voting the ‘new normal’ The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by the National Shooting Sports Foundation – House approves bill relief law; Biden set to prime time address MORE (R-Okla.).
“I agree with President Trump. I think everyone should get the vaccine, ”added the Illinois representative. Rodney Davis
Rodney Lee DavisHouse Republican Party resisters confuse the message of Trump’s vaccine. House Democrats are willing to make proxy voting the ‘new normal’ House committee to consider Democrats’ challenge to the results in the Iowa Congress dispute MORE, the main Republican on the Chamber’s Management Committee.
However, not all Republicans are sounding the same, as some are expressing concern that even giving vaccine advice will outpace their role as members of Congress. Asked about Trump’s recommendation, Biggs again argued about the importance of individual choice.
“If … former President Trump believes that is the case, and he made that statement,” said Biggs. “And it depends on the individual. While we still live in a free country, we can make these individual decisions. “
That tone has been criticized by Democrats, who have been virtually unanimous in calling for general vaccines and want Republicans to join them.
“They must lead by example and we must have a vaccination rate of 100 percent,” said the representative. Raul Ruiz
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In a sense, the emphasis on choice and freedom is a scarecrow argument: vaccines are not mandatory and no one in Congress or the White House has suggested that they should be. But there are clear divisions between the parties – and also internally, between the Republicans – in the way the vaccine is being sent to the public.
The issue is forcing Republicans to walk the tightrope between praising vaccines to promote a return to social normality and to emphasize personal choice as a governing mantra of traditional conservatism.
“Talk to your doctor [and] follow your recommendation. But in the end the choice is yours ”, said the representative. Andy Harris
Andrew (Andy) Peter HarrisHouse Republican Party Resistances Confuse Trump’s Vaccine Message Legislators discuss gun ban in Natural Resources Committee room Boebert responds to criticism of its gun storage in Zoom background MORE (R-Md.), An anesthesiologist.
Rep. Paul Gosar
Paul Anthony GosarHouse Republican Party Resistances Confuse the Trump Vaccine Message Democrats and Republicans recommend more information and details on Biden’s conservation goals Jayapal calls for ethical investigation in Boebert, Gosar, Brooks MORE (R-Ariz.), A dentist, said he is encouraging friends and constituents to get vaccinated. But he himself will not get the vaccine anytime soon, as he believes he is protected by antibodies because he contracted COVID-19 after attending CPAC in March 2020.
Gosar also emphasized that vaccination is an individual decision.
“I have been a strong advocate for vaccines, but I am also a strong advocate of personal choice and free will. Being from the dental field, there are several people who have religious exemptions, ”said Gosar on Wednesday.
“I have antibodies now, so I will be the last one. I want everyone to understand. I want to make sure that the people who need it can get it, ”he added. “Right now, there is a finite resource and we need to distribute it to everyone.”
Rep. Mike Johnson
James (Mike) Michael JohnsonHouse Republican Party resistances confuse Trump vaccine message Cassidy defends vote to proceed with Trump’s trial after Republican Party reaction Cassidy calls Trump’s lawyers ‘disorganized’ after surprise vote MORE (R-La.), A member of the GOP leadership who hired COVID-19 last year, is a fan of the vaccine, which he said will play an important role in “getting us back to normal, to open up the economy and the schools . ”He plans to get vaccinated in the next few days.
But he has also urged Americans to “do what their conscience tells them to do.”
“People don’t trust the government and they shouldn’t. It is in our nature to be skeptical about these things, ”said Johnson, the Republican Party’s vice president of messaging. “I am pleased with the science that members have shown us that the vaccine is safe and apparently effective. I think that, for me, the benefit outweighs the risk.
“This may not be true for everyone, and everyone should do what they want. I don’t think the government should impose that, ”he added. “But for Trump to agree with the recommendation, I think it is a positive thing.”
The vaccine debate is raging as recent opinion polls reveal a stark divide between Democrats and Republicans over whether they intend to be vaccinated. A new NPR-PBS NewsHour-Marist poll, for example, found that 47% of Trump voters in 2020 intend to forgo the COVID-19 vaccine, against 10% of Biden voters.
“This is very partisan,” said Ruiz, who attributed the discrepancy to the many months that Trump downplayed the severity of the coronavirus threat.
“He did it every opportunity he had to minimize the virus,” said Ruiz. “And now it is very difficult to change behavior – especially when it is constantly being reinforced by the right-wing media and QAnon conspiracy theorists.”