Biden: 'There Is No Federal Solution' to Covid-19

Leah Barkoukis | December 28, 2021 8:00 AM

President Biden agreed with some Republican governors on Monday that there is no federal solution to the Covid-19 pandemic, even though he ran on shutting down the virus and continues pushing his vaccine mandates and other federal mitigation measures.

The president’s comment came after Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson warned against the White House’s plan to distribute 500 million rapid tests.

“Make sure that we do not let federal solutions stand in the way of state solutions,” he said in a phone call between Biden and governors. "The production of 500 million rapid tests that will be distributed by the federal government is great, but obviously that dries up the supply chain for the solutions that we might offer as governor."

“There is no federal solution. This gets solved at the state level,” Biden noted—a point he said New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu makes often. “And it ultimately gets down to where the rubber meets the road and that's where the patient is in need of help, or preventing the need for help."

Not only did Biden pledge to “shut down the virus,” he also has issued federal vaccine mandates on healthcare workers, federal employees and contractors, the military, and large private employers, though many are facing legal challenges. Additionally, he has required the use of masks for transit systems and has aggressively pushed back on states that have banned school mask mandates.