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Rep. Mace Sounds Alarm on Biden Administration's "Vaccine Passport" Program

April 7, 2021
 
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Nancy Mace (SC-01) and over two dozen lawmakers on Wednesday penned a letter to the Biden administration strongly opposing plans to roll out a "vaccine passport" system across the country.
 
“The mandated use of so-called ‘vaccine passports’ poses a huge risk to the personal liberty and privacy of millions of Americans and could actually discourage people from getting vaccinated against COVID-19. American citizens should never be forced to ‘show their papers’ just to live their everyday lives," said Rep. Mace.
 
"We write to express our concern regarding recent reports that your Administration is working on a 'vaccine passport' program," the lawmakers wrote to President Biden.
"We understand there may be announcements from the White House in the upcoming week(s) that will affect global travel on tourists visiting the United States, but also Americans who wish to travel internationally. Furthering our concerns, are additional reports that your Administration may seek to unduly burden lawful American citizens while allowing illegal immigrants to cross freely into the United States on the pretense of asylum.
 
"Congress must be involved in such considerations and [our] questions must be addressed prior to any implementation."
 
Read the full letter HERE or below.
 
President Biden,
 
We write to express our concern regarding recent reports that your Administration is working on a “vaccine passport” program. The report entails a process that may endanger our constituent’s data privacy, as well as potential violations to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). We understand there may be announcements from the White House in the upcoming week(s) that will affect global travel on tourists visiting the United States, but also Americans who wish to travel internationally.
 
Furthering our concerns, are additional reports that your Administration may seek to unduly burden lawful American citizens while allowing illegal immigrants to cross freely into the United States on the pretense of asylum. Recent reporting from Texas, has stated that over 10,000 illegal border crossings have occurred in the Rio Grande Valley alone, with little to no Covid-19 testing. At the same time, your Administration is currently suggesting vaccine requirements on legal citizens seeking to travel abroad.
 
We also understand there has been outreach to technology companies to develop a “phone app” to track these potential vaccine passports. This Congress there have already been multiple bipartisan Congressional hearings seeking to provide oversight over tech company influence in our elections; the banning of conservative politicians and former President; and their ownership of U.S. citizen’s data. As such, it would be very concerning to provide further opportunities to big tech companies to own our citizen’s private data and health records.
 
Before the White House makes further announcements regarding vaccine passports, we request the answers to the following questions:
 
  1. What type of travel restrictions will the Administration put on American citizens to travel internationally if they don’t receive a Covid-19 vaccination or want to disclose their vaccination records?
  2. How would a Covid-19 travel restrictions conflict with Covid-19 testing restrictions that are already in place?
  3. How would these restrictions affect pregnant citizens who opt out of Covid-19 vaccinations or citizens who may have severe reactions to vaccinations?
  4. Which companies has the Administration contacted regarding vaccination apps?
  5. Would these companies have to comply with HIPAA and how will they safely and securely comply with all applicable Federal and State laws?
  6. Would these companies own the data and health records? And will they be restricted from profiting or compiling records that could endanger our constituent’s privacy?
Finally, these discussed travel restrictions and documentation programs represent sweeping changes with a variety of implications for our constituents. Congress must be involved in such considerations and the above questions must be addressed prior to any implementation.

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Issues:Healthcare

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