Biden admin launching 'door-to-door' push to vaccinate Americans, sparks major backlash
President Joe Biden speaks on the economy at Cuyahoga Community College Manufacturing Technology Center, on May 27, 2021, in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON - The Biden administration is launching a new "door-to-door" effort to vaccinate Americans after falling short of its Fourth of July goal of having 70 percent of the adult population with at least one shot of the coronavirus vaccine.
Amid the administration's ongoing concerns of a surge of the more contagious Delta variant of the virus, President Biden pitched his plan to boost the vaccinated population during remarks he made on Tuesday.
"Now we need to go community by community, neighborhood by neighborhood and often times door-to-door- literally knocking on doors, to get help to the remaining people protected from the virus," Biden said.
RELATED: Amid delta variant rise, Biden outlines latest plan to increase COVID-19 vaccinations
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki also referred to the "door-to-door" effort while listing the five objectives of Biden's COVID response earlier in the day at Tuesday's briefing, citing "targeted community door-to-door outreach" to "get remaining Americans vaccinated by ensuring that they have the information they need on how both safe and accessible the vaccine is."
Critics were quick to slam the new initiative on social media, including several GOP lawmakers.
"How about don’t knock on my door. You’re not my parents. You’re the government. Make the vaccine available, and let people be free to choose. Why is that concept so hard for the left?" Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, reacted to the president.
"The government now wants to go door-to-door to convince you to get an ‘optional’ vaccine," Rep. Lauren Bobert, R-Colo., warned.
"Hell no," Republican congressional candidate Sean Parnell exclaimed.
MORE NEWS: Supporters display 'Trump 2024' signs ahead of Florida rally
"Vaccine education and conversation should be between a doctor and patient, not by a grassroot government door knocker," physician and Fox News contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier wrote.
"A lot of people have big government antibodies. Don’t knock on those doors," Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., wrote.
"It's NONE of the governments business knowing who has or hasn't been vaccinated," Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Az., similarly expressed.
"Whoever suggested that the best way to reach remaining vaccine skeptics was to talk about going door to door should be fired immediately. It's the Beto O'Rourke of vaccine outreach," GOP strategist Matt Whitlock knocked the Biden administration.
"How will the government know who is vaccinated or not for this kind of targeting?" Daily Wire senior editor Ashe Short asked.