Congressman Eric Swalwell Blames ‘Republican Liars’ for Prolonged COVID Misery

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Representative Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) Blamed “Republican liars” for spreading misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine amid the current outbreak of the Omicron-fueled pandemic. Swalwell is pictured inside the Capitol during the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in Washington, DC on February 10, 2021. Joshua Roberts / Getty

Representative Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) Blamed “Republican liars” for the country to endure the continuing Omicron-fueled wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Swalwell made the remark in a tweet on Friday after the House Judiciary Committee’s Republicans account tweeted, then removed a false suggestion that COVID-19 vaccine booster shots aren’t “working”. The five-term Democrat insisted that Americans facing the consequences of the pandemic raging as the New Year approaches should “look no further” than Republicans who promote disinformation.

“As we wind down 2021, mired in a deadly pandemic, you should know who prolonged it,” Swalwell tweeted. “THESE GUYS. Republican liars. Your vacation has been canceled. Your kids are going back to virtual learning. And back to masks everywhere. For blame look no further than #TheseMes.”

As we wind down 2021, mired in a deadly pandemic, you should know who prolonged it. THESE GUYS. Republican liars. Your canceled vacation. Your children are going back to virtual learning. And back to masks everywhere. For the blame look no further than #TheseGuys. pic.twitter.com/v3S43HKPVZ

– Representative Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) December 31, 2021

The deleted tweet from the GOP committee members asked, “If booster injections work, why don’t they work?” While the basis for Republicans questioning the effectiveness of boosters was not entirely clear, the claim that they don’t work seems like a comment on a premise that isn’t supported by the facts.

No serious medical expert has claimed that COVID-19 vaccines or booster shots are 100% effective in stopping transmission of the virus. Instead, experts have argued that the injections are effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19 and the severity of the disease in those who suffer from it – claims supported by research.

Booster shots have been recommended because the effectiveness of vaccines declines over time and because research has shown that variants like Omicron and Delta have partial, but not complete, resistance to the vaccines. Boosters are especially important in helping to reduce the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, which is more resistant than previous strains of the virus.

Newsweek has contacted the office of Representative Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, for comment.

In addition to the deleted tweet questioning baselessly whether the COVID-19 booster injections are working, members of the Republican committee have in recent days tweeted or shared several messages blaming Democrats and President Joe Biden for the current state of the pandemic.

The GOP committee members’ account echoed a tweet from Jordan criticizing the president for “failing” because he “did not shut down the virus”, referring to an October 2020 tweet of Biden campaigning on the promise that he would “shut down the virus” instead of the country or the economy.

Jordan, who recovered from an episode of COVID-19 last summer after repeatedly advocating against preventive measures like wearing a mask and social distancing, also asked if Democrats really believe ‘what to wear a piece of cloth on the face would solve everything ”in a tweet on Thursday.

It is not clear that a notable Democratic lawmaker has claimed that wearing a mask alone will spell the end of the pandemic, although prominent members of both main parties have advocated mask wearing as a measure to reduce the transmission of COVID -19.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has suggested that people wear masks indoors, especially when transmission levels are high. A CDC analysis cites 18 different studies while concluding that “the data supports community masking to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2”, the virus that causes COVID-19.

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