Senator Ted Cruz of Texas introduced legislation that would prevent the federal government from mandating children to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
The bill, introduced on Nov. 5, would ban would extend to any federal, state, or local entity that receives federal funding, including school districts.
If a school district of the educational entity were to impose a vaccine mandate on students under the age of 18, they would lose eligibility to receive Title IV, Part A and Title II, Part A funding.
Additionally, any vaccine approved under Emergency Use Authorization or initially approved under EUA could only be administered to a minor with parental consent.
The bill comes just after CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky approved the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine under EUA for children ages 5 to 11 years old.
“During the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee meeting, several members acknowledged that approval of the Pfizer vaccine for the 5-11 age group under emergency use could effectively function as a mandate of the vaccine,” notes the Daily Journal.
Cruz said that “parents should have the right to decide what is best for their children in consultation with their family doctor." Furthermore, he “view on the COVID-19 vaccine has remained clear: no mandates of any kind.”
“President Biden and his administration have repeatedly ignored medical privacy rights and personal liberty by pushing unlawful and burdensome vaccine mandates on American businesses,” the senator said. "Now they are preparing to push a mandate on kids by pressuring parents — all without taking into account relative risk or the benefits of natural immunity.”
On the same day as Cruz introduced his legislation, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced his lawsuit against the Biden administration because of its vaccine-or-testing mandate for businesses with 100 employees or more. Paxton called the executive order a “breathtaking abuse of federal power.”
So far, 26 states have filed lawsuits challenging the mandate.
The week before, “Paxton sued the Biden [administration] over its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors and federal employees,” per The Houston Chronicle.
Following the announcement of the CDC’s approval, the Defense Logistics Agency said on Nov. 5 it was shipping over 30,000 doses of the vaccine internationally for the now eligible children of Defense Department personnel.
"The vaccine mission isn't going away any time soon because studies are showing these vaccines wane over time whether it’s the Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson and Johnson version," said Army Col. Anthony Bostick, DLA headquarters' vaccination distribution lead, in a statement. "It'll probably become another annual vaccination just like we have with the flu, which we’ve been doing successfully for over 20 years."
In a survey conducted by the CDC, 57% of parents reported they would “definitely” or “probably” get their children vaccinated. Vaccinations for children are free.
