New Hampshire lawmakers approve $4.7M in vaccine funding
Decision comes week after executive council rejects $27M in federal funds
Decision comes week after executive council rejects $27M in federal funds
Decision comes week after executive council rejects $27M in federal funds
In a unanimous vote Friday, lawmakers on the New Hampshire House Fiscal Committee approved $4.7 million in vaccine funding, a week after the executive council rejected a much larger amount of federal funds.
With no protests and no drama, the committee approved the funds, a contrast to previous fights over accepting federal funds for vaccination efforts.
"We had to find a way that everybody could agree that we could vote on something," said Republican Senate President Chuck Morse. "That's what the governor did. He sent it to us, and we got it done today for the people of New Hampshire."
Instead of the $27 million in funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rejected last week by the executive council, state health officials drew the $4.7 million from federal rescue plan funds.
"It's too bad that we had to take it out of the (American Rescue Plan Act) funds when every other state has accepted the CDC funds, so it decreases our ability to invest the ARPA funds in the economy and other ways," said state Sen. Cindy Rosenwald, D-Nashua.
The key for most Republicans is that funding brought forward by Department of Health and Humans Services Commissioner Lori Shibinette did not come with federal language attached that they believe could enable vaccine mandates.
"That showed good judgment and wisdom on her part, because it probably wasn't going to pass anyways, and it would have just elicited a lot of emotion, appropriately, I think," said Rep. Jess Edwards, R-Auburn.
The funding is on its way to the executive council, but Shibinette said the approach is not a permanent solution. She told lawmakers that because the executive council shot down the CDC contracts, there will be delays in the vaccine rollout for kids ages 5-11.
"So, what I do expect is longer wait times for anybody actually looking for the vaccine, whether it's kids 5-11 or people looking for a booster shot," Shibinette said. "So, we are going to see delays in getting vaccine appointments until we can get all those contracts executed."