WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the Biden administration works to administer more than 100 million coronavirus vaccinations within President Joe Biden's first 100 days, Bowling Green Congressman Brett Guthrie says its key vaccine management remains community controlled.


What You Need To Know

  • Rep. Brett Guthrie says vaccine control should remain with communities

  • Guthrie admits there is frustration over vaccine rollout, but says this is the fastest vaccine deployment ever

  • The CDC says 63 million doses have been administered

  • The American Recovery Act, expected next month, should bring more vaccine sites online

 

"I'm not sure if anyone here is familiar with Utica, Kentucky. It's a rural community in my district that I'm proud to represent. I think Frankfort, our state capital, and Davis County can do a better job taking care of Utica than being run out of Washington, D.C. by a person who has probably never stepped foot there," he said at a recent hearing on COVID-19 vaccine distribution.

Guthrie is the Republican leader on a House panel on health in the Committee on Energy and Commerce. 

Even though there is frustration with the vaccine rollout in some parts of the country, he says this is the fastest America has ever had a vaccine move through the development pipeline and come to market.

"It’s getting better. Every time you do something this big, it takes a while to get it moving forward. Some states are doing well. Some need to do better," said Guthrie in an interview this month with Spectrum News 1.

Democrats argue the Trump administration failed to prepare and provide resources for a national vaccine plan.

According to the CDC, health officials have distributed about 63 million COVID-19 vaccine doses.​

"The Administration pushed all responsibility for distributing and administering vaccines to the states and then they made that job nearly impossible when they opposed providing the states with additional resources to do it. This failure of leadership led to only three million Americans being vaccinated by the end of the year – far short of the 20 million the Administration had promised," said Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., (D) House Energy and Commerce Chairman.

Vaccine distribution should be a rare area where Democrats and Republicans can form bipartisan consensus but some Republicans argue Democrats are too eager to spend more on COVID-19 relief without taking proper inventory of how the money already allocated is being spent.

"I am disappointed that Kentucky and many other states are falling behind in vaccinating minority communities. Governor Beshear admitted that only around 4.3% of Kentucky vaccines have gone to African Americans when the number should be almost double that," said Guthrie.

The Democratic-led American Recovery Act, expected to be signed into law by Biden next month, includes billions to set up new vaccine sites in communities across the country.