Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on Monday that ''nobody is being forced'' to get vaccinated against COVID-19 under the mandates set by President Joe Biden.
In an interview with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle, the host said: "The White House has made its goal very clear. They want this country vaccinated, and they're not forcing people to do it.
''Now, I've called these mandates a workaround, which is not a negative term. It is a way to achieve a goal without violating anything, without forcing anything on anyone. A way to get a huge amount of people vaccinated legally.''
Raimondo agreed, saying that the vaccination requirements are ''a huge step forward'' toward recovery from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Ruhle added that she’s ''puzzled by people that continue to say they’re forced to get vaccinated here. There’s always been a choice. If you do not want to get vaccinated, you can work from home. You can home-school your children. You can shop online.''
Raimondo agreed, saying: ''Nobody is being forced. In fact, if you don’t get vaccinated, you just have to get tested on a weekly basis.''
The secretary went on to say that ''it is unacceptable now that people aren’t getting vaccinated.''
Raimondo said: ''We need our kids in schools; we need schools open. We need people to get back to work, we need people flying on airplanes, we need people in restaurants. We have too many Americans still out of work, and this is a simple, effective shot in the arm, if you will, that our economy needs.''
She concluded: ''That being said, you are not being forced. You can work from home. You can get tested on a weekly basis.''