White House defends virus protocols, vaccine requirement for visitors
Haisten Willis
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The Biden administration on Tuesday defended vaccine and negative test requirements to visit the White House ahead of a reception for new members of Congress.
President Joe Biden is hosting a reception for new legislators at the White House Tuesday afternoon, but some Republicans, including Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY), are skipping it in protest of vaccine and test mandates.
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“LaLota says the rules are arbitrary and unscientific and should be far behind us,” asked New York Post reporter Steven Nelson, formerly of the Washington Examiner, during the afternoon news briefing. “Does the White House have a reaction to that?”
Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended the restrictions.
“COVID isn’t over,” she said. “We have been very clear about that. Hundreds of Americans are dying each day and cases are increasing right now. That’s why we take commonsense measures like COVID testing ahead of large indoor gatherings at the White House.”
Fights over virus protocols in the U.S. are almost as old as the virus itself. While most places no longer require vaccines or negative tests, the White House still does so for visitors and for pool reporters who cover the administration.
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Nelson pointed out that vaccines do not prevent transmission of the virus, but was again rebuffed by Jean-Pierre.
“We listen to the experts, and we look at the data, and we pay very close attention to science,” she said. “I just don’t have anything to say beyond that.”
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