WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th February, 2022) US House Republicans on Thursday sent a letter to President Joe Biden expressing support for truckers protesting COVID-19 vaccine mandates in Canada and urging him to work with the Canadian government to lift them.
"Today, I led 63 (House Republican) colleagues in support of the truckers protesting COVID-19 vaccine mandates, and urging Joe Biden to work with Canada to lift the mandates on essential travel at the border. Truckers are the lifeblood of our nation - they deserve better," Rep. Matt Rosendale said via Twitter.
Rosendale alongside colleagues including Representatives Elise Stefanik, Andy Biggs and Lauren Boebert expressed concern over the vaccine mandate's effect on the United States' supply chain.
The mandates impact access to Canadian agricultural products on which US farmers and ranchers rely, and disrupts the transport of essential products such as Canadian fuel to heat homes in northern states, the letter said.
The wave of protests began in mid-January, with thousands of truckers and other demonstrators converging on Ottawa to demand the government scrap the COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The protests have since gathered diverse groups of citizens and evolved into a broader demonstration against the Trudeau government.
The Canadian government has condemned the protests as "illegal" and an "occupation," granting itself additional powers under the Emergencies Act to deal with the demonstrations.
