HR0957 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0957 LRB101 23435 MST 74708 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The COVID-19 pandemic has shut down our schools and businesses, forced people to self-isolate and stay home, and has cost thousands of Illinois lives; and

WHEREAS, Operation Warp Speed is a public–private partnership initiated by the U.S. government to facilitate and accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapies, and diagnostics; and

WHEREAS, Through Operation Warp Speed, various COVID-19 vaccines were developed and approved for public administration much faster than in the case of most vaccines; and

WHEREAS, Although the development of the COVID-19 vaccines was accomplished at an accelerated pace, the distribution of those vaccines has been slower than expected; and

WHEREAS, While the efforts of Operation Warp Speed to accelerate the development and approval of the vaccine is appreciated, the citizens of Illinois cannot be kept waiting; with a new, more contagious variant of COVID-19 spreading, the need for the vaccine is even more pressing; and

WHEREAS, According to publicly reported information, the federal government currently has upwards of 50 percent of currently produced vaccines held back by the Trump Administration; and

WHEREAS, The Trump administration has reportedly held back these vaccines to prepare to mitigate situations in the manufacturing and distribution of the doses; and

WHEREAS, However, with the agreements with Pfizer and Moderna with Operation Warp Speed for 400 million vaccines doses for the U.S. government along with the expected emergency use authorizations from Johnson & Johnson and AstraZenerca, there should be no concerns about the safety or effectiveness of the manufacturing pipeline; and

WHEREAS, While these vaccines are being kept in storage, America is losing over 2,600 lives each day to the COVID-19 pandemic; and

WHEREAS, The failure to effectively distribute the COVID-19 vaccine in a timely manner has and will continue to have dire consequences for Illinois residents and the country as a whole; and

WHEREAS, Ensuring the health and safety of Illinois citizens is of the upmost importance; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the federal government to distribute the reserve COVID-19 vaccines to states; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and all members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation.