President Joe Biden speaks about the economy, in the East Room of the White House, Monday, May 10, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
By Zeke Miller
President Joe Biden is highlighting new programs from ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft to provide free rides to and from vaccination sites, as the pace of shots nationally declines and he looks to meet his July Fourth inoculation targets.
The partnership with the ride-sharing companies marks the latest in a series of government-encouraged efforts to increase access to shots. It comes as Biden met virtually with a bipartisan group of governors Tuesday to share best practices for encouraging Americans to get vaccinated.
“I think that's really stepping up,” Biden said of the partnership with the ride-sharing companies.
“We have to make it easier and more convenient for all Americans to get vaccinated," Biden said, as he met with Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, all Republicans, as well as Democratic Govs. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, Janet Mills of Maine and Tim Walz of Minnesota.
Biden also announced new funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency for community outreach efforts to encourage Americans to get vaccinated, as well as a new initiative to host federally supported vaccination sites at community colleges.
Biden's meeting comes a week after he set a new goal of delivering at least one dose of vaccine to 70% of adult Americans by Independence Day and fully vaccinating at least 160 million by then.
The nation's vaccination rate has dramatically slowed in recent weeks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an average of about 730,000 Americans are getting their first dose of vaccine daily, down from a peak of more than 1.9 million per day a month ago.
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Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee accused the agency of targeting conservatives, suppressing evidence that Covid-19 came from a lab leak and abusing its surveillance powers.
The Biden administration calls it a “student loan safety net.” Opponents call it a backdoor attempt to make college free. And it could be the next battleground in the legal fight over student loan relief.
Nearly 30,000 people in Mississippi were dropped from the state's Medicaid program after an eligibility review that the government ended during the pandemic.
