- ‘We’re taking a very close look at that,’ Mayorkas told ABC about requiring use of vaccine passports for international travelers
- He was asked about vaccine passports for people flying in and out of the country
- White House has ruled out any federal vaccine passport
- Mayorkas said any passport must be ‘accessible’ and make sure ‘no one is disenfranchised’
- Some GOP governors have banned vaccine requirements by private businesses
- The EU has opened travel to Americans if they have vaccine passports
- Mayorkas spoke as 2.5 million Americans were set to fly Memorial Day weekend
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Friday that the Biden Administration is ‘looking closely’ at requiring international travelers to have a vaccine passport if they want to travel in and out of the country.
Mayorkas made the comment as 2.5 million Americans prepare to fly for Memorial Day Weekend, and after the White House provided repeated assurances the administration will not impose such a system.
Asked if the nation could see vaccine passports either for people coming into the country or flying out, he told ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’: ‘We’re taking a very close look at that.’
‘You know, one of our principles that has guided us throughout this pandemic is the value of diversity, equity and inclusion and making sure that any passport that we provide for vaccinations is accessible to all and that no one is disenfranchised,’ he responded.
‘And so we’re taking a very close look at that,’ he added.