Executive Calendar

Floor Speech

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Mr. PETERS. Madam President, I reserve the right to object. My friend from Oklahoma serves as the ranking member of the Government Operations Subcommittee of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. I sincerely appreciate that he brings a thoughtful approach to Federal workforce issues and that we frequently have an opportunity to work together to make government work more efficiently and more effectively.

Unfortunately, I strongly disagree with the legislation being put forward today. This proposal would roll back policies put in place to make sure that Federal workers and Federal contractors who are paid with taxpayer dollars are vaccinated against COVID-19. These Executive orders protect not just the Federal workforce all across our country, but they help protect their families and their communities. There are also commonsense exceptions for people with disabilities, with medical conditions, or with sincerely held religious beliefs. These policies were put in place both carefully and fairly.

The American people are literally sick and tired of this pandemic--a pandemic that has already claimed over 725,000 lives, including the lives of our friends, our neighbors, and our family members. They want this pandemic to end, and vaccines is how we get there.

From the beginning of this pandemic, I and many of my colleagues have been dedicated to bringing safe and effective vaccines to the people who live in our States by investing in science and research and by strengthening our domestic supply chains.

COVID-19 vaccines are now widely available, but we know from trusted scientists and public health experts that we need higher rates of vaccination to get this pandemic under control. The politicization of safe, effective, public health measures is making it harder to end this horrible pandemic. The legislation before us today would without question move us in the wrong direction.

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