Top Democrat on COVID selection committee tells DailyMail.com Republican-fuelled ‘misinformation’ to blame for vaccine hesitation as Biden administration’s public health pandemic emergency ends TODAY
- House to hold hearing Thursday on ‘Pandemic Immunity Investigation’
- Last month, Biden signed a bill to end the national COVID emergency on May 11 after three years
Democratic Rep. Raul Ruiz warns Republicans against spreading “misinformation” about the COVID-19 vaccine as Thursday marks the official end of the Biden administration’s declared public health pandemic emergency.
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic will hold a hearing on COVID-19 immunity Thursday, which will examine both the “vaccine-induced” and “infection-acquired immunity” that have been critical for the nation to fight the COVID-19 overcome pandemic.
Ranking member Ruiz, who is a doctor, will say in comments first obtained by DailyMail.com that the hearing and end of the declared pandemic health emergency comes at a “sensitive time” for the country’s public health.
“Disinformation emanating from the COVID-19 pandemic has fueled vaccine hesitancy and undermined the best tool we have to protect against infectious disease,” he will say.
“Or actually, the only tool we have that prevents symptoms of infection from developing that lead to long-term health effects, hospitalization and death, while reducing overall transmission,” Ruiz continues.
Ranking Member Ruiz (left) and Subcommittee Chair Brad Wenstrup (right)
Last month, Biden signed a bill to end the national COVID emergency on May 11 after three years
Ruiz, D-Calif., then warns his Republican colleagues not to “question” that vaccines are safe and that they have helped save American lives.
“And yet, the continued spread of misinformation online about not just COVID-19 vaccines, but vaccines in general poses a serious threat to this work and our ability to protect the overall health of America,” Ruiz continued.
Let’s “focus on the facts,” Ruiz concludes.
Last month, Biden signed a bill to end the national COVID emergency on May 11 after three years. At the same time, the White House also announced that it is committing $5 billion to create next-generation COVID-19 vaccines.
Ruiz, D-Calif., then warns his Republican colleagues not to “question” that vaccines are safe and that they have helped save American lives
Former President Trump first declared a national emergency in March 2020 to free up federal funding for vaccines and testing centers.
Also on Thursday, the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations and Accountability is holding a hearing on the Department of Homeland Security’s “misinformation” campaigns.
The subcommittee headed by Rep. Dan Bishop, RN.C., will investigate whether there has been any “overreach” by DHS allegedly scrutinizing information posted online by Americans.
The hearing comes after DHS was accused of illegally collaborating with social media companies to censor speech on platforms.
The department established a taxpayer-funded “Disinformation Board” last year, which was disbanded after backlash.