Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
McConnell Steps Up Campaign To Urge Republicans To Get Vaccinated
The Hill: McConnell: 'It Never Occurred To Me' Convincing Americans To Get Vaccinated Would Be Difficult
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on Wednesday that he did not realize it would be difficult to convince Americans to take the COVID-19 vaccine as the nation deals with soaring cases occurring in the unvaccinated. “Here, we did — developed three highly effective vaccines in under one year. Honestly, it never occurred to me we would have difficulty getting people to take the vaccine,” McConnell told Fox Business Network host Larry Kudlow, a former White House official. (Vakil, 7/28)
Reuters: McConnell Aims To Boost U.S. Republican Vaccination Rate By Countering 'Bad Advice'
U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell blamed misinformation for the low rates of COVID-19 vaccination among Americans, which are fueling a rise in coronavirus cases, particularly in Republican-dominated states. "There is bad advice out there, you know. Apparently you see that all over the place: people practicing medicine without a license, giving bad advice. And that bad advice should be ignored," the 79-year-old Kentucky lawmaker told Reuters. (Morgan, 7/28)
Politico: Senate GOP Steps Up Vaccine Push Amid Lingering Conservative Skepticism
Top Senate Republicans are dramatically stepping up their pro-vaccine outreach as several of their home states lag behind national Covid inoculation rates and mask recommendations return in many areas. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is running ads in his home state to combat disinformation, Sen. Roy Blunt is barnstorming Missouri and Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama says “anytime we’re on a press conference, we say something about vaccinations." Several GOP senators released new PSAs in the wake of guidance issued Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to wear masks in areas of high transmission. (Everett, 7/28)
Axios: McConnell Using Campaign Cash To Pay For Vaccine PSAs
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) plans to use money from his reelection campaign to run radio ads on over 100 Kentucky stations in the coming days to promote getting vaccinated for COVID-19, Reuters reports. The most hardcore opponents of vaccination — the group who say they'll never get one — tend to be older, whiter and more Republican, according to an analysis of our Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index. (Gonzalez, 7/28)
In related news —
The Washington Post: House Republicans Refuse To Follow New Mask Mandate, Leading Pelosi To Call McCarthy A 'Moron' For His Comments
House Republicans on Wednesday angrily criticized a new order from the Capitol Hill physician to wear masks inside the Capitol due to the spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus, leading Speaker Nancy Pelosi to call House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy a “moron” over his argument that the decision was not based on science. Many House Republicans refused to wear masks on the House floor during a series of morning votes, before they called for the chamber to adjourn as GOP members rebuffed attempts by staff to get them to put on a mask. (Sotomayor and Wager, 7/28)
Politico: Fear And Loathing In The House Over Mask Mandate
Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman was headed to the House floor Wednesday when he saw a vocal GOP vaccine resistor — unmasked — in the elevator. Huffman decided to take the stairs, but not before issuing a sharp warning to Rep. Byron Donalds, telling the Florida Republican he shouldn’t be crowding into an elevator with other members. The two crossed paths again outside the chamber and Huffman had more to say, calling the GOP freshman “selfish.” (Ferris, Beavers and Caygle, 7/28)
