WASHINGTON-
A prominent New York senator is joining the ranks of US lawmakers who want the White House to end vaccination rules at the Canada-US land border.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Brian Higgins, both Democrats, wrote to urge President Joe Biden to “reciprocate” Canada’s new COVID-19 border policy.
Gillibrand says New York businesses, hospitals and medical providers have suffered throughout the pandemic due to border restrictions.
Canada last week dropped its vaccination requirement for visiting foreign nationals and made it optional for travelers to use the controversial ArriveCan app.
Gillibrand is just the latest US lawmaker to pressure the Biden administration to lift vaccination rules for visiting foreigners.
Higgins and Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat from Montana, want the Department of Homeland Security to remove the requirement as soon as possible.
“We urge the United States to reciprocate the policy of our Canadian neighbors by easing our own COVID-19 restrictions for the benefit of our northern border communities and their economies,” Gillibrand and Higgins write in their letter.
Canada and the United States have both seen “significant declines” in their number of COVID-19 cases and death rates, in part due to the work the two countries have done together to manage their common interests, we read.
“We believe now is the most opportune time to ease restrictions that would once again free up the northern border economy, bring together friends, families and colleagues across the border and continue the partnership American-Canadian that has been crucial to both of our nations’ successes.
The letter even quotes federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos as saying Canada is on the verge of “safely lifting” border vaccination measures.
“The United States must reciprocate this decision and allow Canadians to enter the country without requiring an individual’s vaccination status to be declared.”
White House officials will say only that no changes to US land border procedures are imminent.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on October 5, 2022.