Congressman Ritchie Torres, a freshman Democrat representing the Bronx, is pushing a mandate that would prohibit Americans from flying within the United States if they are eligible for a Wuhan coronavirus vaccine but choose to abstain.
Torres introduced H.R.4980 this month "to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to ensure that any individual traveling on a flight that departs from or arrives to an airport inside the United States or a territory of the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19."
"The TSA never allows people to enter planes or airports with a weapon, and the delta variant is a weapon,” Torres explained when asked about his mandate bill, adding “It is a threat to everyone in an airport and everyone on a plane.”
Text for the mandate still has not been received by Congress.gov, but Torres' bill cites Article I, Section 8 as its constitutional authority and Torres has been clear about what he wants to see the federal government do to prevent unvaccinated Americans from traveling by plane.
Accompanying H.R.4980, Torres sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security and Transportations Security Administration (TSA) urging the executive branch to issue a mandate — with some exceptions — because legislative action will take longer than a directive from DHS or TSA.
"I believe your agencies should implement policies to require passengers who are eligible for vaccination to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in order to fly," Torres writes. "Populations that are not able to receive the vaccine, including children under 12 years old, individuals with a documented valid medical excuse, and international travelers who may not have the same access to a vaccine should be excluded," though.
I’m also introducing legislation to mandate #COVID19 vaccination before flying domestically or internationally. As Delta variant cases continue to rise, we must ensure everyone entering an airport or boarding a plane is protected. Vaccination is protection. Via @NYDailyNews pic.twitter.com/0VjADj9qjk
— Rep. Ritchie Torres (@RepRitchie) August 6, 2021
"We must come to grips with the fact that voluntary vaccination will only take us so far. We have to exhaust every mean to crush the delta variant," Torres explained.
Citing a study from the Kaiser Family Foundation as proof of a need for his mandate, Torres said "unvaccinated people will be significantly more likely" to go and get vaccinated, adding that mandates such as his are a "commonsense step."
Not everyone sees his bill as "commonsense," though. Torres' colleague in the House Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) promises to "oppose this authoritarian legislation with every fiber."
With no animosity toward the bill sponsor, I will oppose this authoritarian legislation with every fiber.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) August 12, 2021
“H.R.4980 To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to ensure that any individual traveling on a flight… is fully vaccinated against COVID-19”https://t.co/z6bWZbi61X
Travelers on planes and in airports are already mandated to wear masks, regardless of vaccination status, thanks to Executive Order 13998. Torres' mandate bill was referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security where it won't be considered until the House returns to D.C. following its August recess.