The group includes Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina and Tennessee, all led by Republican governors. Some of them have said worker shortages and labor issues threaten to restrain the pace of economic growth. Many Republican experts blame it on the extra unemployment benefits.
“Families, businesses and our economy thrive when we focus on meaningful employment and move on from short-term, federal fixes," Tennessee's Bill Lee said in a statement.
As the federal government reaches out to the tens of millions of Americans who haven’t received a COVID-19 vaccine, even offering free transportation to get the shots, President Joe Biden listened to a handful of governors Tuesday about what has worked in their states.
One common theme: Convenience matters.
To that effect, Biden announced a deal with ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft to take people to and from vaccination sites for free from May 24-July 4. Biden, who suggested the CDC would soon issue new guidance on what vaccinated people can do, is aiming for 70% of the nation's adults to have gotten at least one dose by Independence Day.
During Biden's call with the Republican governors of Ohio, Utah and Massachusetts, along with the Democratic governors of Maine, Minnesota and New Mexico, a recurring theme was the importance of mobile units, pop-ups, and walk-ins to make the jabs more easily available.
“It’s going out, it’s trying to be innovative, trying to figure out how do we take it directly to people,’’ said Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, adding that there's been a lot of interest in the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. "They want that one shot and to be done.''
– Jorge L. Ortiz
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