Before shelling out more money for coronavirus vaccinations, the federal government should urge states to claim their share of $200 million doled out by the Trump administration four months ago, on top of $140 million for regular flu vaccines provided in early summer, according to former Trump aides.
Sharply disputing, with proof, claims by the Biden administration that there was no vaccine plan in place on Inauguration Day, the officials said the money is there for states to kick-start their vaccination programs if they’d only take it.
And one official noted that the $340 million came on top of $3 billion the Trump administration provided to states specifically for COVID-19 vaccinations in the recent $22 billion bill signed a few weeks ago.
Former Trump officials have been frustrated with the Biden team’s claims it is making up a vaccination plan from scratch. They note that they provided a funding and distribution plan. The $22 billion, for example, is slated to go to 64 U.S. jurisdictions in a plan set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in October.
One official said that on Jan. 20, states had drawn just 1% of the $200 million.
A Bloomberg News vaccine tracker shows the states behind in vaccines, now averaging 1.25 million a day. It also shows that vaccines were being given well before Biden took office.
CNN anonymous sources WRONG again, contradicted by Dr. Fauci
Asked if Biden is “starting from scratch,” Fauci says, “We certainly AREN’T starting from scratch”
Admits “taking some ideas from the previous administration”
There was ALWAYS a plan
This should be corrected ⬇️ https://t.co/8mRUlpom5X
— Kayleigh McEnany (@kayleighmcenany) January 21, 2021
They are also irked by Amazon’s bid for good PR in helping the Biden team’s distribution when it snubbed former President Donald Trump even as other major shippers and distributors fought to get to the head of the line, including UPS, FedEx, and McKesson.
“For months, the administration worked hand-in-hand with every U.S. state and territory on comprehensive distribution plans to deliver life-saving vaccines to market faster than ever before. From the outset, the president’s Operation Warp Speed established unprecedented expectations for the rapid development and distribution of a life-saving vaccine with military precision,” said Michael Bars, a former White House senior communications adviser who was the administration’s chief communications liaison between the White House coronavirus task force and Operation Warp Speed.
“Any option that will help save lives is worth considering, but the new administration should first look for states to employ the funds and resources already allocated to them before federalizing vaccine administration at the state and local level,” said Bars.
He added, “If the president is looking for ways to change the trajectory of the pandemic in the next several months, encouraging state governments to draw $200 million from federal coffers is a great place to start. While there may be additional areas for the feds to play a role, good governance in the Biden administration can begin by ensuring a $200 million taxpayer contribution to states made last September and the billions of dollars recently approved by Congress are used expeditiously.”
