IL Republican says his party’s attacks on COVID vaccine will ‘get Americans killed’
An Illinois Republican is condemning members of his party and urging everyone to get a COVID vaccine as the new Delta variant continues its rapid spread through areas with low vaccination rates.
Adam Kinzinger, the representative for Illinois’ 16th District, called rhetoric from other members of the Republican Party “absolute insanity” after President Joe Biden pushed for door-to-door COVID vaccinations.
“Now what President Biden said, and maybe he could have said it slightly differently, is, ‘We’re willing to come to your house to give you the vaccine.’ At no point was anybody saying they’re going to break down your door and jam a vaccine in your arm despite your protest,” Kinzinger said during a Sunday interview on CNN.
Kinzinger was asked his thoughts after Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene compared Biden’s push to Nazi-era brownshirts. Greene recently had a fundraiser with Illinois Representative Mary Miller, who earlier this year said “Hitler was right about one thing” during a speech on the national mall shortly before supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol. Miller represents part of the metro-east and replaced Collinsville’s John Shimkus after Shimkus chose not to run for re-election in 2020.
“Listen, if you are a Republican voter, do not listen to people like Marjorie Taylor Greene. The vaccine is safe, COVID is real, get vaccinated,” Kinzinger added.
Other Republicans who have criticized Biden’s push to vaccinate as many Americans as possible against a resurgent coronavirus were Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parsons said last week that the door-to-door strategy was not welcome in his state, which is seeing a spike in new cases that has health workers pleading for people to get vaccinated against COVID.
“This is outrage politics that is being played by my party and it’s going to get Americans killed,” Kinzinger said.
Miller has not made a public comment about her stance on COVID vaccines or Biden’s push to include door-to-door vaccinations.
This story was originally published July 13, 2021 at 9:28 AM.