White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki encouraged private businesses on Wednesday to take “innovative steps” toward vaccinating all customers and employees.
When asked what the Biden administration’s position on coronavirus vaccine mandates was, Psaki skirted the question but admitted the White House won’t stop private companies from mandating vaccines.
“There are institutions; there are private-sector entities that will take the step. We’re not standing in their way. Those are innovative steps,” she told reporters.
“Go forward and take steps that you feel are appropriate,” she continued. “We’re just talking about what the steps are, what the role is of the federal government.”
Vaccine mandates are now becoming common in certain industries. Royal Caribbean, a cruise line that recently restarted operations, is mandating that passengers from some states show proof of vaccination before boarding.
The University of California system is also requiring all its students and staff members to get vaccinated if they want to return to campus in the fall.
Several other members of President Joe Biden’s administration have voiced support for vaccination requirements.
“If a company, a business wants to take steps to keep their workers and their passengers safe, I would think that, from a government perspective, we want to do everything we can to encourage that,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said last month. “And that’s certainly our view at the federal level.”
The Biden administration was reportedly considering a federal vaccine mandate at one time but eventually decided against it due to legal concerns.
“It has not changed our view that the federal government will not be playing that role,” Psaki said of vaccine mandates. “The private sector may, and it may prompt the private sector moving forward on actions, which is where we think it is appropriately situated.”
