Washington D.C. (WBEN) - A new amendment is on the docket this week for the U.S. House of Representatives to vote on regarding putting an end to the COVID vaccine requirement for Canadians entering the United States.
Congressman Brian Higgins (D, NY-26) has submitted an amendment which would ultimately put an end to showing proof of vaccination for Canadians entering the United State along land ports of entry.
"Last October, Canadians removed all of their COVID restrictions, the United States did not," said Congressman Higgins. "It's time to get back to a semblance of normalcy at the US Canadian border. Our economies are deeply integrated. We need each other to contribute to the respective economies and the time has come to remove the requirement that the US still has for incoming Canadians to be vaccinated."
What has been the hold up on the U.S. side? Congressman Higgins has been advocating for these rules to be lifted for quite some time now and will hope to finally see some progress being made on the U.S. side this week, when it is being considered during the House of Representatives Rules Committee meeting.
"[There's] no good reason for it," said the congressman. "We have inquired with the Department of Homeland Security and various departments within the federal government. In many, many cases, it is not being enforced, regardless of the fact that it is still in place. It should have been done back in October, when our Canadian neighbors lifted their COVID restrictions, including vaccination requirements."
Binational families have been protesting since 2021 about this issue, like Marcella Picone, who's fiancé hasn't been able to come back to the U.S. in three years. "You have immediate and extended families that have not been able to enter the US by land for the last three years and sadly, there was never a pathway or any exemptions given to binational families," said Picone.
Picone calls this amendment, "wonderful news," but she isn't going to get her hopes up. "We don't even know if the amendments going to pass through committee. So obviously, it's just it's a waiting game and you know, sadly, binational families don't want to get their hopes up. Because again, if this amendment doesn't pass committee, it's not gonna get to the floor of Congress and then we actually have to start from scratch in an effort to get the land border open."
Congressman Higgins says he doesn't foresee any pushback on this new potential amendment and the bill will seek to address not just land ports, but air travel as well. "The bill will seek to substitute a larger bill that terminates the vaccine requirements for non-Americans traveling by air," Congressman Higgins said.
As it stands now, over 80% of the Canadian population is vaccinated, America stands at 70%.