The House of Representatives passed a Republican bill on Wednesday to end a requirement that most foreign travelers be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The bill sponsored by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) was approved in a 227 to 201 vote and would rescind an order issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that required international air travelers, who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents, to provide proof of vaccination to enter the U.S. with limited exceptions, a move that the travel industry has said would help boost spring and summer travel.
HERE’S WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN THE COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY ENDS
It would also bar similar COVID-19 vaccine mandates for foreign travelers from being implemented in the future. The legislation is unlikely to pass the Democratic-controlled Senate.
“It is long past due to end this mandate,” said Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY), chairman of the health subcommittee for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, on Wednesday. “Doing so will align the United States with the rest of North America’s COVID-19 vaccine policy for people coming into the country and recognize COVID-19 is an endemic — rather than a pandemic.”
The Biden administration dropped a requirement last June that all foreign travelers arriving in the country by air must present a negative COVID-19 test, which had been in place since early 2021. In December, however, the administration reimposed the testing requirement for passengers two years and older flying to the U.S. from China, citing the surge in cases in the mainland.
The House approved two amendments to the bill. One from Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) would require the CDC to produce a report to Congress on the number of travelers that were denied entry under the policy, and another from Rep. John Rose (R-TN) that clarifies that the bill would not affect the existing pre-departure COVID-19 test requirement for air travelers coming from China.
Three other amendments were rejected, including one from Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) that would have clarified that the CDC has the authority to mandate vaccination requirements for other diseases in the future for non-citizens.
The travel industry has been pushing the Biden administration to end the vaccination mandate for foreign travelers.
“We have long supported the removal of this requirement and see no reason to wait until the May expiration of the public health emergency — particularly as potential visitors are planning spring and summer travel,” said Tori Emerson Barnes, executive vice president of public affairs for the U.S. Travel Association. “Every day this policy remains in place encourages some travelers to avoid the U.S., costing us valuable visitor spending and delaying our efforts to reignite inbound travel.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Most countries have dropped the majority of their travel restrictions put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. The European Union currently has no restrictions for foreign travelers.
The legislation comes as the federal government prepares to end the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11 and transition the pandemic response to the private sector.
