Chairs Lee and DeLauro Praise Biden Administration’s Commitment to Share COVID-19 Vaccine Doses with the World
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13), Chair of the House Appropriations subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, today praised President Biden’s plan to distribute 60 million AstraZeneca doses to countries in need in the coming months. They released the following joint statement:
“We support the Biden Administration’s announcement that it will begin sharing millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines with the world, a crucial step toward crushing this virus across the globe. COVID-19 has underscored how globally connected we are, and until we crush the virus everywhere, America will remain vulnerable. The United States’ leadership in the global fight against COVID-19 has been is long overdue and sorely needed.
“Earlier this month we wrote to Secretary Blinken calling for faster federal action to share vaccines. We are pleased the Biden administration is taking on this challenge, but our work must not stop here. Populations in Africa, the Caribbean, and India—among other developing countries—need more doses of vaccines. Some of these countries are experiencing deadly spikes in virus transmission and need urgent help, particularly to protect their frontline workers fighting this virus.
“We must continue prioritizing the most vulnerable people and countries across the world in our global response efforts, as we requested in our April 15 letter. In our roles on the House Appropriations Committee, we will continue fighting to maintain the United States’ status as a global health leader.”
Reps. Lee and DeLauro sent a letter to the Biden Administration on April 15 requesting that the United States share its vaccine doses with underserved countries. To read the letter, click here.