Critics Remind Dan Crenshaw That Mandatory Vaccines Have Existed In U.S. For Decades

Mary Papenfuss
Fri, September 10, 2021

(Photo: Tom Williams via Getty Images)

Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) ominously warned of a “revolt” after President Joe Biden unveiled new COVID-19 vaccination requirements — and critics on Twitter piled on to remind the lawmaker that mandatory vaccinations have existed in the U.S. for decades.

He also called vaccine requirements “cheap governance” and ordered the Democrats to “leave people the hell alone” in a tweet on Thursday.

The military has long required a number of vaccinations for service members, which Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL, should know, many pointed out, and accused Crenshaw of playing dumb to appeal to anti-vaccination extremists.


Gen. George Washington ordered his troops to be inoculated against smallpox way back in 1777 via a precursor to vaccination called variolation.

American children begin getting vaccinations when just weeks old and must be vaccinated against a number of infectious diseases before they’re allowed to attend public schools — even in Texas. Healthline reported last month that school vaccine mandates have existed in the United States since the 1850s.

“Are you going to start a revolt over these, too?” scoffed one Crenshaw critic.

Crenshaw’s only response to his vaccine double standard: “Wow this one really triggered left wing authoritarians on twitter.”

Biden announced Thursday that all federal workers and contractors will need to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in the coming weeks, along with health care workers at providers that receive federal funding through Medicaid and Medicare.

The administration will also require all businesses with 100 or more employees to require testing at least once a week for unvaccinated workers.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.