Biden Calls Out Governors Obstructing Vaccines, Masks: ‘Get Out Of The Way’
Lamenting that this fourth covid wave was a "largely preventable tragedy" and a "pandemic of the unvaccinated," President Joe Biden spoke out in favor of tougher vaccine requirements and told state and local officials to stop hindering efforts to get shots in more arms.
The Washington Post:
Biden Tells Governors To ‘Get Out Of The Way’ If They Won’t Help On Vaccines
President Biden on Tuesday denounced Republican officials who have blocked efforts to mandate vaccines, as he encouraged cities and states to require that individuals show proof of vaccination to visit restaurants and other public spaces. In a notable toughening of his message, the president called out Republican governors who have banned businesses and universities from requiring vaccines or defied masking guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Pager, 8/3)
The New York Times:
Biden Calls Delta Variant A ‘Largely Preventable Tragedy That Will Get Worse Before It Gets Better.’
President Biden, seeking to reiterate that the rise of the highly contagious variant in the United States is a “pandemic of the unvaccinated,” voiced his frustration with leaders who have been slow to provide coronavirus relief or get shots in arms. Mr. Biden singled out Florida and Texas, where cases have risen sharply, criticizing the pandemic response by the governors in those states. (Rogers, 8/3)
Axios:
Biden To GOP Governors Resisting COVID Vaccines, Masks: "Get Out Of The Way"
President Biden spoke out Tuesday against Republican governors who've sought to block vaccine and mask mandates, as COVID-19 cases spike across the U.S. Biden has tried to avoid making the pandemic a partisan issue, but the Washington Post notes the White House "has grown increasingly frustrated" with Republican leaders looking to obstruct health measures. (Falconer, 8/4)
Axios:
Biden Voices Support For Private Sector Vaccine Requirements
President Biden said Tuesday that he supports efforts by private businesses to require coronavirus vaccines. Biden's comments come hours after New York City announced it would demand proof of vaccination for indoor activities, including trips to gyms and restaurants. Asked whether he thought more cities and states should institute similar rules, Biden replied, "I do." (Saric, 8/3)
AP:
Analysis: Delta Variant Upends Politicians' COVID Calculus
President Joe Biden’s administration drew up a strategy to contain one coronavirus strain, then another showed up that’s much more contagious. ... But the delta variant makes no distinctions when it comes to politics. If Biden’s pandemic response is found wanting, Republican governors opposed to pandemic mandates also face an accounting. They, too, were counting on a backdrop of declining cases. Instead unvaccinated patients are crowding their hospitals. (Alonso-Zaldivar and Miller, 8/4)
On New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo —
The New York Times:
Biden Says Cuomo 'Should Resign' Amid Sexual Harassment Findings
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women, including current and former government workers, whose accounts of unwanted touching and inappropriate comments were corroborated in a damning report released on Tuesday by the New York State attorney general, Letitia James. The 165-page report prompted multiple calls for Mr. Cuomo to resign, including from President Biden, a longtime ally of the governor, and it cast doubt on Mr. Cuomo’s political future. The Democratic speaker of the State Assembly said on Tuesday that he intended to quicken the pace of a separate impeachment inquiry, adding that Mr. Cuomo “can no longer remain in office.” (Ferré-Sadurní, 8/3)
From the border —
The Washington Post:
Biden Administration Preparing To Offer Vaccines To Migrants Along Mexico Border
The Biden administration is preparing to begin offering coronavirus vaccine to migrants in U.S. custody along the Mexico border, where illegal crossings are at their highest levels in over two decades and health officials are struggling with soaring numbers of infections, according to two Department of Homeland Security officials with knowledge of the plan. Until now, only a limited number of migrants have received vaccine while held in longer-term U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities. Under the broad outlines of the new plan, DHS would vaccinate migrants soon after they cross into the United States as they await processing by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. (Miroff and Sacchetti, 8/3)
NBC News:
Judge Blocks Texas Order That Would Limit Transporting Undocumented Immigrants
A federal judge on Tuesday blocked Texas from enforcing an order from Gov. Greg Abbott that would restrict travel by undocumented immigrants. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone of El Paso said the order "causes irreparable injury to the United States and to individuals the United States is charged with protecting, jeopardizing the health and safety of non-citizens in federal custody, risking the safety of federal law enforcement personnel and their families, and exacerbating the spread of COVID-19." (Williams, 8/3)
The Wall Street Journal:
Federal Judge Blocks Texas Ban On Transporting Migrants
A federal judge on Tuesday blocked an executive order by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott that banned the transportation of migrants within the state by anyone other than law enforcement, an initial legal victory for the Biden administration. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone in El Paso granted the Justice Department’s request for a temporary restraining order against the ban, saying the department was likely to prevail on arguments that the Texas ban unconstitutionally interfered with the federal government’s operations and conflicted with U.S. immigration law. (Kendall, 8/3)
