The White House on Tuesday took aim at Republican governors for opposing coronavirus vaccine mandates for businesses, accusing them of \u201cputting politics ahead of public health.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sharp remarks from White House press secretary\u00a0Jen Psaki<\/a>\u00a0came in response to Abbott\u2019s executive order\u00a0banning COVID-19 vaccine mandates<\/a>, a direct challenge to\u00a0President Biden<\/a>\u2019s forthcoming vaccine requirement for large private sector organizations.<\/p>\n Psaki said Abbott\u2019s order \u201cfit a familiar pattern that we\u2019ve seen of putting politics ahead of public health,\u201d Psaki told reporters during a briefing Tuesday afternoon.<\/p>\n \u201cOver 700,000 American lives have been lost due to COVID-19, including more than 56,000 in Florida and over 68,000 in Texas, and every leader should be focused on efforts to save lives and end the pandemic,\u201d Psaki continued. \u201cWhy would you be taking steps that prevent the saving of lives that make it more difficult to save lives across the country or in any state?\u201d<\/p>\n