Seventeen governors on Aug. 10 urged President Joe Biden to lift the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for international travelers, noting that dozens of countries around the world have rescinded vaccination requirements in recent months.
Non-U.S. citizens who are also non-immigrants must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination before traveling by air into the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) imposed the requirement in October 2021 at the direction of Biden.
The order does not make sense, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and 16 other governors said in a letter to the president.
“The continued requirements, even as other countries are moving in the opposite direction, put us at a competitive disadvantage as our states work to welcome international travelers, attract foreign business prospects, and host global athletic competitions. Your actions are hurting our states’ economies and unnecessarily hampering our economic growth as a nation,” they wrote….