Ted Cruz launches bill to block school vaccine mandates

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) has introduced new legislation that would stop the federal government and all public educational facilities from requiring that children be vaccinated against COVID.

The bill "prohibits the federal government and any recipient of federal funding from the Department of Health and Human Services and/or the CDC at the state, local, Tribal, or territorial level" from requiring any individual aged 18 or younger to get the vaccine. It also would deny funding to any recipient of "Title IV, Part A and Title II, Part A funding," and insist upon parental consent before vaccinating any minor.

"I am proud to introduce this legislation … to ensure President Biden and his administration stay out of decisions related to a child’s health — decisions best left to parents," tweeted Sen. Cruz, taking an excerpt from his longer statement on his official website, which reads as follows:

“Parents should have the right to decide what is best for their children in consultation with their family doctor. My view on the COVID-19 vaccine has remained clear: no mandates of any kind."

"President Biden and his administration have repeatedly ignored medical privacy rights and personal liberty by pushing unlawful and burdensome vaccine mandates on American businesses, and now they are preparing to push a mandate on kids by pressuring parents—all without taking into account relative risk or the benefits of natural immunity.

Sweeping vaccine mandates in schools have been seen by critics as being to draconian, and leading to bad results, such as some of the possibly best teachers being forced to resign.