Republicans Continue Their Efforts to Sabotage Our Progress on COVID-19
This week, Republicans continued their efforts to sabotage our progress on COVID-19. Despite rising cases around the country, the GOP managed to politicize both funding for Ukraine aid and COVID-19 by refusing to approve Ukraine aid with it tied to COVID funding.
The Biden administration has spent months asking Congress to approve additional funding and laying out the consequences. Without funding, the government will have to ration vaccines, and we will be unable to buy additional treatments and tests, tools proven effective in combatting the pandemic. We will be left unable to continue on progress we’ve made without the funds necessary to prepare for future variants and surges.
Republicans are responsible for the looming shortages and the consequences already felt by many Americans. They must set aside their political games and work with Democrats to pass the additional funding as soon as possible.
Elsewhere in Republican efforts to prolong the pandemic…
Republicans are questioning whether funding for vaccines is even necessary, citing the transmission of COVID-19 between vaccinated people. This completely ignores how vaccines are the best way to avoid serious illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. Republicans are playing political games in the name of penny pinching, which will only leave people without the tools necessary to protect themselves.
Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson had the gall to criticize the government’s response to early COVID-19 treatments. Johnson has said he’s unvaccinated and promotes conspiracy theories around vaccines instead of encouraging the most effective early treatment for COVID-19: not getting it in the first place by getting vaccinated.
Missouri lawmakers passed a bill barring pharmacists from telling their patients the truth about unproven, unsafe treatments promoted by conspiracy theorists. By preventing pharmacists from doing their jobs, lawmakers are ensuring people don’t get the best care possible from their providers and prolonging the pandemic.