(Headline USA) Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra caused a firestorm of controversy following a CNN interview on Thursday, when he said “it is absolutely the government’s business” to find those who are not vaccinated against COVID-19.
Following the stated intentions earlier this week by White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki and President Joe Biden that the administration plans to go “door-to-door” to those who have not received the shot — to arm-twist them into doing so — Becerra’s statements on CNN further advanced the big government bullying narrative that the administration has earned.
But in a tweet later Thursday, Becerra claimed his comments were taken “wildly out of context.”
From Becerra’s CNN interview, in response to a question about the government going “door-to-door:”
Perhaps we should point out that the federal government has had to spend trillions of dollars to try to keep Americans alive during this pandemic, so it is absolutely the government’s business. It is taxpayers’ business if we have to continue to spend money to try to keep people from contracting COVID and helping reopen the economy.
Becerra added that “knocking on a door has never been against the law” and “you don’t have to answer, but we hope you do.”
“Because if you haven’t been vaccinated, we can help dispel some of those rumors you’ve heard and hopefully get you vaccinated,” he said.
Becerra then tweeted Thursday afternoon:
Some comments I made today are being taken wildly out of context. To be clear: government has no database tracking who is vaccinated. We’re encouraging people to step up to protect themselves, others by getting vaccinated. It’s the best way to save lives and end this pandemic.
— Secretary Xavier Becerra (@SecBecerra) July 8, 2021
But the government still has a program to track down those who haven’t been vaccinated, regardless of whether it maintains a “database” or not:
Just to clarify, will there be government agents/workers/etc coming to peoples doors asking if they have been vaccinated? @SecBecerra
— Murphys Law Roadside Assistance,Llc (@saroadsidecom) July 8, 2021
Others on Twitter rebuked the Health Secretary:
Show up at my door and you will meet my German shepherd
— TheREALChrisBrown (@TheREALChrisBrn) July 8, 2021
?for a retraction on this in the next 48 hours.
CORRECTION: “The Federal Government has no database tracking who is vaccinated. It’s the States and local authorities that have the databases, but we Feds do have *them* on a money leash. That’s how your government works.”
— robbyslaughter (@robbyslaughter) July 8, 2021
The California government had a database. Anyone vaccinated got a lottery entry. Yet the federal government has no database?
Hmmm
— The Our Shawn (aka R. Shawn McBride) (@McBrideForBus) July 8, 2021
I think you’re confusing taking something out of context with saying something amazingly stupid. It’s not the same.
— BozGolfR (@BozR32) July 8, 2021
Your comments on live television are going to make great campaign ads for the GOP. Well done, sir!
— John Jensen (@JCJensen1689) July 8, 2021
