White House rules out involvement in vaccine passports

[DonViejo]

Source: The Hill


BY BRETT SAMUELS - 04/06/21 01:33 PM EDT

White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Tuesday ruled out the Biden administration playing any role in a vaccine passport system as Republican governors in particular balk at the concept.

"The government is not now, nor will we be supporting a system that requires Americans to carry a credential. There will be no federal vaccinations database and no federal mandate requiring everyone to obtain a single vaccination credential," Psaki told reporters at a briefing.

The White House has been clear that it would defer to private companies if they wanted to implement some type of vaccine passport system in which individuals would have to provide proof that they received one of the coronavirus shots.

"Our interest is very simple from the federal government, which is American's privacy and rights should be protected so that these systems are not used against people unfairly," Psaki said.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/546705-white-house-rules-out-involvement-in-vaccine-passports

[dalton99a]

1. At the rate progress is being made in vaccinations, in a few months nobody will care

[reACTIONary]

6. I think you are right. nt

[Stallion]

3. Democrats Need to Stop Referring to a Vaccine "Passport" ....

Desantis and Abbott use the term vaccine passport partly to infer they have jurisdiction to regulate cruise and international travel-they don't since there are comprehensive federal regulatory regimes as well as the Commerce Clause that preemp a state from interferring with such regime. There is no Vaccine Passport

[Lonestarblue]

4. It doesn't matter what Republican governors ban. They aren't in charge of business.

I have already received emails from a cruise line on which I’ve traveled saying that they will require proof that all passengers have been vaccinated, which is in effect a vaccine passport. I believe other cruise lines will also require proof of vaccination. Several cruise lines dock in Florida ports, so Floridians and others who plan to board a cruise ship will need their cards/passports. I believe that everyone who gets vaccinated gets a CDC card, so this is just another Republican tempest in a teapot.

I suspect that countries that finally get the virus under control and allow Americans to visit again will also require proof of vaccination. Whether you call it a card or a passport seems immaterial. If it allows me to travel again, hallelujah!

And those who refuse to get vaccinated but want to join friends or family on a cruise will probably be out of luck. No cruise line wants to repeat the horrors of 2020 when they were floating sick wards and morgues.

[Stallion]

5. Words Such as Passport and Visa Have Specific Meanings Defined by Federal and International Law

When you use the term "vaccination passport" you are allowing Republicans to assert that they have regulatory authority over passports which they don't. Their authority is strictly with regard to intra-state activities. Democrats should be precise in their definition so as to counter Republican attempts to confuse the public.

A passport is a legal document, issued by governments worldwide to certify proof of identity and citizenship. It is meant to confirm your identity when you visit another country that is not governed by your own. The passport includes your photo and several blank pages for official documentation when you arrive in another country. A visa, on the other hand, is an official document provided by the country you wish to visit, granting you temporary permission to enter the country for a certain amount of time. Visas vary depending on the length of stay and the purpose of your visit. They can be paper documents or just a stamp in your passport, depending on the country.