When asked about restrictions being lifted for vaccinated travelers into the United States starting Monday and if the administration is considering extending vaccine requirements to domestic travel, Jean-Pierre demurred but did not rule it out.
“So, we say this all time ... everything’s on the table,” she said, adding: “We just don’t have any announcement to preview right now on this.”
It’s not clear if Jean-Pierre is referring to mandating vaccine rules for domestic air travel, Amtrak travel, or other forms of land travel. The Transportation Security Administration and several other government agencies often refer to flights within the United States as “domestic travel” or “domestic air travel.”
The reporter’s question to Jean-Pierre came as the United States on Monday lifted its 20-month-long travel ban for all vaccinated international air travelers. The travel restrictions had barred non-U.S. citizens from traveling from dozens of countries—including India and much of Europe, and it had also restricted land entry from Mexico and Canada.
Lawmakers from U.S. border states praised the move to lift the unprecedented restrictions which harmed the economies of local communities and prevented visits to friends and families for 19 months.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, members of our shared cross-border community have felt the pain and economic hardship of the land border closures. That pain is about to end,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement.
The Epoch Times has contacted the Biden administration for clarification on Jean-Pierre’s comment.
