Lesko And Schweikert Deny Voting To Create National Vax Database

Two Republican members of Arizona’s Congressional Caucus, David Schweikert and Debbie Lesko, are being accused of joining all Democrats to pass a piece of legislation which would fund a federal vaccination database. According to Breitbart News, a total of 80 Republicans voted in favor of the Immunization Infrastructure Modernization Act.

“The text specifically outlines an expansion of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Public Health Department capabilities and the ability for state and local health departments, as well as public and private health care providers, to share health data with the federal government,” reported Breitbart.

The bill, which allows a data exchange between various jurisdictions (database) passed 294 – 130. Lesko and Rep. Raul Grijalva cast their votes remotely.

According to the author of the bill, Rep. Annie Kuster, of New Hampshire, the Immunization Infrastructure Modernization Act authorizes funding to:

• Conduct an assessment of current capabilities and gaps among immunization providers;
• Expand enrollment and training of immunization providers;
• Support real-time immunization record data exchange and reporting;
• Improve secure data collection, transmission, bidirectional exchange, maintenance, and analysis of immunization information;
• Enhance the security of bidirectional exchange of immunization record data and interoperability of immunization information systems with health information technology platforms; and
• Enhance data exchange interoperability with other jurisdictions.

Lesko and Schweikert adamantly denied the Breitbart report and the claims it creates a national database in tweets:

pic.twitter.com/I1cQ6PAJLk

— Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (@RepDLesko) December 2, 2021

Here is my statement on H.R. 550. pic.twitter.com/kDbKtuLzNw

— Rep. David Schweikert (@RepDavid) December 2, 2021