Press release:
Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today led a letter with Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (NY-21) to New York Governor Kathy Hochul expressing concern over healthcare staffing shortages in New York due to the vaccine mandate that remains in place. The mandate is one factor driving a staffing crisis in New York, which negatively impacts the ability of New Yorkers to access quality healthcare close to home.
The letter was also signed by Congressman Anthony D’Esposito (NY-4), Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), Congressman George Santos (NY-3), Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17), Congressman Langworthy (NY-23), Congressman Nick LaLota (NY-1), Congressman Mark Molinaro (NY-19), and Congressman Andrew Garbarino (NY-2).
In the letter, the lawmakers wrote, “The evidence is clear: the staffing shortage affecting New York’s healthcare sector is a crisis and must be addressed. While long-term solutions must also be considered, it is imperative for your administration to drop its COVID-19 vaccine mandate immediately so that healthcare workers can return to serving their friends, loved ones, and neighbors. Decades of healthcare experience are being left on the sidelines or pushed into other states as a result of the mandate. This is even more noteworthy given that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control Director has publicly stated that the vaccine cannot prevent transmission.”
Tenney previously led a letter with Congresswoman Stefanik and other members of New York’s state and federal delegations to Governor Hochul in March 2022, urging her then to rescind the statewide vaccine mandate for essential workers. In December 2021, Tenney also penned a letter to Hochul urging her to remove the vaccine mandate for nurses after Upstate hospitals were forced to curtail services because of staffing issues.
"Our essential heroes continue to be attacked and demonized by Kathy Hochul and her unconstitutional policies. Countless hospitals in Upstate New York have been forced to close wings or turn away patients due to the vaccine mandate. Vaccine mandates completely violate an individual's constitutional rights and are now negatively affecting others. It's time for Hochul to revoke her disastrous COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers across New York," said Congresswoman Tenney.
