Aiming to ease COVID rules for travelers who come to U.S.

WASHINGTON — Foreign visitors would be allowed into the country even without proof they are vaccinated against COVID under a bill advanced Wednesday by the House of Representatives.

The measure, which passed in a 227-201 vote, is the latest among a string of proposals the new Republican-led Congress is passing aimed at rolling back various coronavirus health protections instituted by the federal government.

Republicans argued that such restrictions are no longer necessary, and infringe on people’s freedom, in addition to causing economic damage such as limiting tourism.

“Other countries have started opening up. Other countries have moved forward,” said Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.). “We’ve heard the president say in this chamber last night that COVID doesn’t run our lives anymore. Let’s get back to normal.”

“Even Canada has lifted its vaccine mandate for incoming U.S. air travelers,” said Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.). “Other than a few countries around the world run by dictators, the United States of America is literally the only country left that is imposing this unscientific and immoral Covid vaccine mandate on our visitors. Covid is over. It is time for us to rejoin the free world.”

Democrats, however, argued that when more than 1 million Americans have died in the pandemic, and another 500 are dying every day, they would rather defer to the CDC and federal disease experts on such decisions than go along with the GOP.

“Let’s go by the science. Let’s be reasonable about this. Let’s not assume that we can let foreign travelers in and not be vaccinated,” said Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), arguing that the disease continues to mutate and CDC officials would not be able to restrict travelers in the face of a new, more virulent strain of the virus.

“That is very dangerous to tie their hands,” said Pallone. “We don’t know exactly where COVID and the variants are going to be going in the next few months or the next few years.”

The measure is unlikely to even advance to a vote in the Democratic-held Senate.

President Biden has announced that he is ending the national COVID emergency in May. Related policies such as the vaccine requirements for visitors are expected to be re-evaluated then.