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‘It Is Absolutely Our Business’:
HHS Secretary Pushes Back Against GOP Criticism
Of Biden’s Door-To-Door Vaccination Effort






WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 24: Xavier Becerra, nominee for Secretary of
Health and Human Services, answers questions during his confirmation hearing
before the Senate Finance Committee on Capitol Hill on February 24, 2021 in
Washington, DC. If confirmed, Becerra would be the first Latino secretary of HHS.
He is currently Attorney General of California.
(Photo by Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images)



KEY FACTS

The HHS head told CNN’s “New Day” in a Thursday morning interview that it
should be both the concern of the federal government and the taxpayer
“if we have to continue to spend money to keep people from contracting Covid-19.”

Becerra highlighted it is in the best interest of Americans to build herd immunity
to avoid more Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns, which have been imposed in
some other countries due to the threat of the more infectious delta variant.

He also pointed out that it is not mandated that Americans open the door if someone
from the government comes to give more information on the vaccine and how to get it.

“You don’t have to answer, but we hope you do because if you haven’t been vaccinated
we can help dispel some of those rumors you’ve heard,” Becerra said.



CRUCIAL QUOTE

“Perhaps we should point out that the federal government has spent trillions of dollars
trying to keep Americans alive during this pandemic,” the HHS secretary added.



KEY BACKGROUND

President Biden announced the “door-to-door outreach” effort on Tuesday along with
a slew of new strategies geared toward getting more Americans to roll up their sleeves
for the shot. The announcement immediately drew the ire of some Republicans who
painted the push as an overstep by the federal government. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.)
accused the Biden administration of “illegal” activity in an interview with The Washington
Examiner, while Rep. Chip Roy (R-Tex.) deemed it a “gross abuse of power.” “Nowhere in
the Constitution does it say, ‘The federal government shall go door to door pushing Americans
into vaccine trials,” said the Texas congressman. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki
later emphasized that no one from the federal government will be showing up at people’s
doors to offer vaccinations, but rather to share information on the shot. Psaki also specified
the push is designed to address safety concerns and target people in less vaccinated
pockets of the country.


CHIEF CRITICS

“How about you don’t knock on my door,” Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw ®
wrote on Twitter after Biden’s announcement.
“You’re not my parents. You’re the government.”