Washington, D.C. (November 4, 2021) – Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) today released the following statement in response to President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandates for private businesses, as well as Medicare and Medicaid providers.

“Today’s announcement makes one thing crystal clear: President Biden does not trust the American people to make their own health care decisions, so the federal government must do it for them. This type of thinking is as un-American as it gets, and it is the very definition of government overreach for command and control in our lives.

“In Eastern Washington, we are already feeling the real world consequences of Governor Inslee’s vaccine mandate. More than 100 Washington State troopers have left the police force. Hospitals across the state are bracing to lose as many as 7,500 front line workers critical to combating COVID-19. This mandate makes our communities less safe, and it is creating a workforce shortage that disproportionately devastates rural America.

“With these new vaccine mandates, President Biden wants to build on the devastation happening in Washington State by extending the workforce fallout across the nation at a time we can least afford it. Americans are tired of being told what to do, and it’s time for the president to listen to what the people are saying. 

“Mandates driven by fear and control do not make our country safer or healthier. They erode trust, sow division, and have real world consequences that hurt our communities and families. It’s time to bring an end to mandates that force hard working Americans to choose between complying with the federal government or losing their livelihoods altogether.” 

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