Vaccine passports have turned into a national debate as states continue to battle the pandemic. Red state governors have banned such passports from being required for citizens to return to normal life, while blue state governors are making passport mandates standard.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) is hoping to ban government-mandated vaccine passports at the federal level.
“I think there’s a real potential for government overreach and I don’t believe that anyone should be forced to take the vaccine. It should be your personal choice. You should make the choice based on your health, the decisions you want,” Cruz told Fox and Friends on Friday morning.
He added that workplace discrimination against individuals who choose not to receive the vaccination should also be illegal.
“It [his legislation] also prohibits discrimination in employment. We’re seeing some places where employers are saying ‘If you’re not vaccinated, you’re fired.’ And that ought to be illegal. Your health decisions are yours to make. It shouldn’t be your boss, it shouldn’t be the government, it shouldn’t be anyone else forcing you to make those decisions.”
Vaccines are terrific and the COVID-19 vaccine has given us a lot of freedom.
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) May 28, 2021
But there's a real potential for government overreach.
I don't believe the government should force anyone to get the vaccine. pic.twitter.com/PZVLnDzcAo
The Texas Republican was unsure if bipartisan support for banning vaccine passport mandates would be garnered. The Biden administration has not fully indicated whether or not the president supports the use of vaccine passports.