3 Senators introduce ban on federal vaccine passports

A trio of Republican Senators has introduced a bill that would prohibit the federal government from requiring vaccine passports.

U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Mike Braun, R-Ind., and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., would impose a 5-year prohibition on any government vaccine mandate. It would also prohibit federal officials from working with a “third party,” such as airlines, to establish requirements related to COVID vaccines.

“Americans shouldn’t be discriminated against because of COVID-19 vaccine status - whether that is at work or in everyday life. Americans have a well-established right to privacy that any mandated vaccine passport would destroy. A vaccine passport would be discriminatory against people who, for whatever reason, do not get the COVID-19 vaccine. We should be encouraging individuals to receive the vaccine through increased patient protections, not mandating it,” Cruz said when introducing the bill.

Alabama is one of 10 states that have already passed legislation preventing statewide vaccine passport mandates. Other states with similar mandates are Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Montana, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.