U.S. Representative Buddy Carter (R-GA-01) on Monday denied that he voted for a federal database that documents who got vaccinated against COVID-19.
According to the U.S. House of Representatives’ website, Carter was the sole Republican House member from Georgia to vote yes on H.R. 550. That bill is otherwise known as the Immunization Infrastructure Modernization Act of 2021.
The bill, if enacted into law, would require that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) improve data sharing and other aspects of immunization information systems. Representative Ann Kuster (D-NH-02), the bill’s sponsor, said in the bill that the databases are confidential.
Breitbart News, however, reported that some conservative members of the House are deeply unhappy with the bill and that they think it is “Orwellian.” They reportedly said the government is incapable of protecting Americans’ medical records.
Carter, in an emailed statement to The Georgia Star News, disputed the reporting.
“I have never, and will never, support a federal vaccine database. Unfortunately, some of my Republican colleagues are trading in truth for cheap political headlines,” Carter wrote.
“The truth is that HR 550 makes it harder for the government to track an individual’s vaccination status – that’s why I voted for it. The bill simply modernizes existing systems and ensures that your private vaccine information is not available to the government.”
U.S. Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-GA-11) did not vote on the bill. The six Democrats who represent Georgia all voted yes, according to the U.S. House of Representatives’ website.
Journalist Kyle Becker reported that the bill would spend $400 million in taxpayer money.
“The database would allow the government to notify people about when their booster shot is due,” Becker reported, quoting an unnamed political observer.
“Although the system is described as confidential, confidential in this case means confidential from the public, until of course records are indiscriminately released like has happened with the IRS, Department of Defense, Veterans Administration, or any number of high-profile government leaks and hacks.”
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Buddy Carter” by Congressman Buddy Carter. Background Photo “Vaccination” by Governor Tom Wolf. CC BY 2.0.
