Two Republican congresswomen introduced legislation rebuking the Biden administration’s now-paused policy that would have allocated Coronavirus vaccines to detainees at Guantanamo Bay before Americans had the chance to receive their dosage.
GOP Reps. Elise Stefanik (NY) and Ashley Hinson (IA) oppose "any plans by the United States Department of Defense to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to prisoners held at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay and detained during operations conducted during the Global War on Terrorism until all Americans have had the opportunity to be vaccinated,” Fox News reported.
A spokesperson for the Department of Defense promised over the weekend that no detainees had been vaccinated, just after the ill-advised plan was put on pause on Saturday.
No Guantanamo detainees have been vaccinated. We’re pausing the plan to move forward, as we review force protection protocols. We remain committed to our obligations to keep our troops safe.
— John Kirby (@PentagonPresSec) January 30, 2021
The original order was given a greenlight on January 27. Stefanik said that the new administration indicated that detainees take priority over detainees.
"It is inexcusable and un-American that President Biden is prioritizing vaccines for Gitmo terrorist detainees over American citizens, including veterans, first responders, 9/11 first responders, and seniors," Stefanik told Fox News. "Every American should have access to vaccines before these heinous terrorists."
The resolution points out that a slim portion of Americans have been vaccinated thus far, as the rollout faces logistical challenges.