Top Republican Illinois Rep. Of the House Administration Committee. Rodney Davis sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday, saying there should be a comprehensive vaccination program, especially for workers on the hill.
He told House “high-risk and frontline essential workers” to get vaccinated.
“Immunization of high-risk and frontline essential workers of the House is not fundamental to the continuity of the organization’s operations, but is a duty to take care of the health and safety of its employees and members,” he wrote in a letter to CNN. “Furthermore, the implementation of a clear plan will signal to both the private and public sectors that the House has confidence in the vaccine. I have every confidence in our ability to roll out a successful program by the end of January based on the House’s current flu vaccination model.” Many members of the House and staff are aware and have benefited. “
The letter comes a week after House Majority Leader Stanny Hoyer asked on a call with CNN reporters when members of Congress would be vaccinated. He said there were ongoing discussions at the time but could not give details.
CNN has reached out to the speaker’s office fees for additional details about a possible vaccination program. Pelosi has not yet commented on when members will receive the vaccine, but the statement insisted that Americans should continue to wear face masks and social distance when allowed.
“Until the vaccine becomes widely available, it is imperative that we continue to test, trace, treat, wear masks and accept the social stigma needed to save thousands of Americans every day from epidemic deaths.”
Separately, a Capital official told CNN that Congress has not been notified of how many doses of the vaccine will be available.
On the Senate side, House Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech that he would wait to get vaccinated until it became available to legislators and “don’t ignore the line.”
“But make no mistake: we should all lead by example, commit to vaccination, and ask our constituents to do the same,” he added.
CNN’s Sunlen Surfetty contributed to this report.
.
