Biden calls for $100 vaccine incentives, new rules for fed workers

WASHINGTON, DC — President Joe Biden is stepping up efforts to get shots in people's arms, including calling on states, territories and local governments to do more to incentivize vaccination by offering $100 to those who get vaccinated and reimbursing small- and medium-sized businesses for offering their employees paid leave to get their family members vaccinated.

It comes as the Treasury Department is releasing new rules allowing state and local governments to use their share of $350 billion in stimulus funds from Biden's American Rescue Plan on incentivizing vaccines.

"I know that paying people to get vaccinated might sound unfair to folks who have gotten vaccinated already. But here's the deal, if incentives help us beat this virus, I believe we should use them," Biden said Thursday. "We all benefit if we can get more people vaccinated."

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Biden also announced that every federal government employee and onsite contractor will be asked to "attest to their vaccination status," and will require anyone not fully vaccinated to wear a mask at work regardless of where they live, social distance and get tested once or twice a week. Employees can also face restrictions on official travel, he said in remarks Thursday afternoon.

"It's literally about life and death. It's about life and death. That's what it’s about," Biden said "I know people talk about freedom. But I learned growing up, school and my parents, with freedom comes responsibility. Your decision to be unvaccinated impacts someone else. Unvaccinated people spread the virus. They get sick and fill up our hospitals. And that means if someone else has a heart attack or breaks a hip, there may not be a hospital bed for them."

The president is hoping to use the federal workforce as a model for employers nationwide. The guidelines are aimed at boosting vaccination rates among the millions of Americans who draw federal paychecks and to set an example for private employers around the country.

Biden also directed the Department of Defense to look into how and when they will add Covid-19 vaccination to the list of required vaccinations for members of the military.

"Our men and women in uniform who protect this country from grave threats should be protected as much as possible from getting Covid-19," Biden said. "I think this is particularly important because our troops serve in places throughout the world, many where vaccination rates are low and disease is prevalent."

He also addressed the Department of Veteran Affairs announcement earlier this week that it would mandate the vaccine for its doctors and nurses, comparing the decision to several major hospital systems. The VA's decision came after four unvaccinated employees of the department died in recent weeks.

"We must do everything possible to protect our veterans from getting Covid when they come to get medical care they so richly earned serving their country. We owe them," he said.

You can watch Biden's entire news conference in the video player below.