Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton insisted on Newsmax Thursday that President Joe Biden's call for a "door-to-door" COVID-19 vaccination drive won't be happening in his state, because the "last thing" the state needs is for the federal government checking in on them.
"It should be completely up to individuals to decide what their own personal risks are, what their health situation is, and the fact that the government might know whether you've been vaccinated is disturbing," Paxton said on Newsmax's "National Report." "From a privacy standpoint, the last thing we want the government to know about his our personal health information."
White House press secretary Jen Psaki, while commenting on the plan, said the administration wants to make sure Americans have the information on the safety and accessibility of the vaccine but also said that the federal government's goal is to protect Americans but that it is still up to individuals to decide if they'll get their shots.
Meanwhile, Paxton said his office is looking at legal action through the courts to stop people from going door-to-door over the vaccines.
"We're definitely going to be looking at our opportunities in court to stop them from going door to door and then we're also going to get into the whole issue of what information do they have about us?" said Paxton.
He added that in Texas, he doesn't think there is a lack of access to the vaccine, but rather, "there's more vaccines than there are takers. Initially of course, when the vaccine first came out, there was a lineup and they went by age and health issues, but at this point, people can make their own decisions."
Paxton also commented on a recent Washington Post-ABC News survey showing 33% of respondents approve of the president's handling of the borders, while 51% disapprove.
"For those Americans who approve of this, they basically are approving of the cartels gaining greater strength because they are having these people are coming across the border, having to pay to get across and pay the cartels thousands of dollars, and then they have a connection to the cartel going forward. In addition, there's more drug-running going on than there ever has been, and it's pretty scary. It's a disaster. It's a crisis. Don't know how people can see it any other way."
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton insisted on Newsmax Thursday that President Joe Biden's call for a "door-to-door" COVID-19 vaccination drive won't be happening in his state, because the "last thing" the state needs is for the federal government checking in on them.
"It should be completely up to individuals to decide what their own personal risks are, what their health situation is, and the fact that the government might know whether you've been vaccinated is disturbing," Paxton said on Newsmax's "National Report." "From a privacy standpoint, the last thing we want the government to know about his our personal health information."
White House press secretary Jen Psaki, while commenting on the plan, said the administration wants to make sure Americans have the information on the safety and accessibility of the vaccine but also said that the federal government's goal is to protect Americans but that it is still up to individuals to decide if they'll get their shots.
Meanwhile, Paxton said his office is looking at legal action through the courts to stop people from going door-to-door over the vaccines.
"We're definitely going to be looking at our opportunities in court to stop them from going door to door and then we're also going to get into the whole issue of what information do they have about us?" said Paxton.
He added that in Texas, he doesn't think there is a lack of access to the vaccine, but rather, "there's more vaccines than there are takers. Initially of course, when the vaccine first came out, there was a lineup and they went by age and health issues, but at this point, people can make their own decisions."
Paxton also commented on a recent Washington Post-ABC News survey showing 33% of respondents approve of the president's handling of the borders, while 51% disapprove.
"For those Americans who approve of this, they basically are approving of the cartels gaining greater strength because they are having these people are coming across the border, having to pay to get across and pay the cartels thousands of dollars, and then they have a connection to the cartel going forward. In addition, there's more drug-running going on than there ever has been, and it's pretty scary. It's a disaster. It's a crisis. Don't know how people can see it any other way."