>> PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN SAYS THE
COUNTRY IS HEADING IN THE RIGHT
DIRECT SHOP WITH THE CORONAVIRUS
BUT HE SAYS QUOTE WE'VE GOT TO
KEEP OUR EYE ON THE BALL.
BIDEN MADE THE COMMENTS THIS
AFTERNOON IN SUBURBAN ELK GROVE
VILLAGE DURING A SPEECH
STRESSING HOW BUSINESSES CAN
HELP END THE PANDEMIC THROUGH
VACCINE REQUIREMENTS.
AMANDA VINICKY WAS THERE AND
JOINS US NOW WITH MORE.
AMANDA?
>> YES, PARIS, BIDEN HAD A
SIMILAR ITINERARY FOR LAST WEEK
BUT HE POSTPONED HIS TRIP TO
STAY IN WASHINGTON AND NEGOTIATE
WITH CONGRESS OVER THE SOCIAL
AGENDA.
AIR FORCE ONE LANDED AT O'HARE
TODAY.
THE DATE MAY HAVE CHANGED BUT
THE OBJECTIVES WERE THE SAME.
TO CALL FOR EVERYONE TO GET THE
CORONAVIRUS VACCINE.
AND FOR BUSINESSES TO HELP FORCE
THE ISSUE.
>> I'M CALLING ON MORE EMPLOYERS
TO ACT.
MY MESSAGE IS REQUIRE YOU GO
EMPLOYEES TO GET VACCINATED.
THE VACCINATIONS WE'RE GOING TO
BEAT THIS PANDEMIC.
WITHOUT THEM, WE FACE ENDLESS
MONTHS OF CHAOS IN OUR
HOSPITALS, DAMAGE TO OUR ECONOMY
AND ANXIETY IN OUR SCHOOLS.
AND EMPTY RESTAURANTS.
AND MUCH LESS COMMERCE.
>> BIDEN IN SEPTEMBER ANNOUNCED
THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND OSHA
WILL BE IMPLEMENTING RULES THAT
REQUIRE BUSINESSES WITH 100 OR
MORE WORKERS TO REQUIRE ALL
THOSE EMPLOYEES EITHER BE
VACCINATED OR GET REGULARLY
TESTED.
THOSE FEDERAL RULES ARE NOT
FINALIZED YET.
BUT CHICAGO BASED CONSTRUCTION
COMPANY DID ANNOUNCE TODAY THEY
ARE FOLLOWING THE PRESIDENT'S
REQUIREMENTS EARLY.
SO VACCINATIONS OR WEEKLY COVID
TESTS AND THAT IS WHY BIDEN
VISITED A DISTRIBUTION CENTER BY
CLAYCO.
LABORERS MADE UP MOST OF THE
AUDIENCE.
IT ALSO DOESN'T HURT THAT
CLAYCO'S OWNER BOB CLARK IS A
BIG TIME DEMOCRATIC DONOR.
THE PRESIDENT MENTIONED OTHER
ILLINOIS COMPANIES AS PROOF THAT
VACCINE REQUIREMENTS WORK IN
DECREASING RATES LIKE
UNIVERSITIES, NORTHWESTERN,
RUSH, ALSO CHICAGO BASED UNITED
AIRLINES WHICH SOUGHT 99% OF ITS
WORKFORCE VACCINATED WITHIN THE
MONTHS IT INSTITUTED A MANDATE.
BIDEN SAYS THERE'S NO OTHER WAY
TO BEAT THE PANDEMIC AND HE
DOESN'T GET THE OPPOSITION TO
VACCINE MANDATES.
>> VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS WORK
AND THEY ARE NOTHING NEW ABOUT
THEM.
THEY HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR
DECADES.
WE HAVE BEEN LIVING WITH THE
REQUIREMENTS THROUGHOUT OUR
LIVES.
STUDENTS, HEALTHCARE
PROFESSIONALS OUR TROOPS HAVE
BEEN REQUIRED TO SEEK
VACCINATIONS FROM POLIO TO
MEASLES TO MUMPS TO RUBELLA.
AND THE REASON MOST PEOPLE IN
AMERICA DON'T WORRY ABOUT POLIO,
MEASLES, MUMPS, RUBELLA IS
BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN
VACCINATED.
>> EARLY THIS MORNING, THE WHITE
HOUSE RELEASED A NEW REPORT ON
VACCINE MANDATES AND STRESSING
AGAIN THEY WORK.
THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS THE MORE
PEOPLE THAT ARE VACCINATED THE
BETTER IT IS FOR THE ECONOMY
ALSO THE REPORT SHOWING POLLING
THAT SHOWS MOST AMERICANS ARE
ONBOARD.
>> AND SOME ARE MAKING A
POLITICAL STATEMENT OUT OF THIS
ISSUE.
BUT A STRONG BIPARTISAN MAJORITY
OF AMERICANS SUPPORT
VACCINATIONS.
THEY KNOW IT ISN'T ABOUT
POLITICS.
IT'S ABOUT LIFE AND DEATH.
>> I DID ENCOUNTER SEVERAL DOZEN
PROTESTORS OUTSIDE OF THE
CONSTRUCTION SITE MANY OF WHOM
WERE WEARING TRUMP 2024 FLAGS
AND SIGNS AGAINST MANDATES AND
MASKS.
NONE MADE IT CLOSE TO PRESIDENT
BIDEN.
UNLIKE CHICAGO MAYOR LORI
LIGHTFOOT.
WHO MANAGED TO WRANGLE A RIDE
WITH BIDEN FROM THE AIRPORT TO
THE EVENT IN THE PRESIDENTIAL
MOTORCADE.
SHE HAD NOT BEEN ON AN ORIGINAL
SPEAKER'S LIST SHOWN TO MEMBERS
OF THE MEDIA.
BUT SHE ENDED UP WITH PODIUM
TIME.
>> IT IS SENSELESS THAT EVERY
SINGLE DAY THERE ARE PEOPLE
LYING IN EMERGENCY ROOMS IN ICU
BEDS AND THEY ARE ON THE VERGE
OF DEATH SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY
HAVE NOT TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE
LIFE-SAVING VACCINE.
SO WE NEED TO HEED THE ADVICE OF
THE EXPERTS AND WE NEED TO
FOLLOW THE ADVICE OF OUR
PRESIDENT.
>> LIGHTFOOT, HOWEVER, DID NOT
STAY TO LISTEN BIDEN'S SPEECH.
HE REFERENCED SHE HAD TO GET
BACK TO WORK.
MEANWHILE GOVERNOR J.B. PRITZKER
HAD TIME AT THE PODIUM AND HE
USED PART TO BRAG THAT ILLINOIS
HAS THE HIGHEST VACCINATION
RATES IN THE MIDWEST.
>> AS THE DELTA WAVE MADE ALL
THE MORE CLEAR TO EXIT THIS
PANDEMIC INVENTING LIFE-SAVING
VACCINES ISN'T ENOUGH.
WE HAVE TO ACTUALLY USE THEM.
GETTING VACCINATED IS THE RIGHT
THING TO DO.
FOR OURSELVES AND FOR EACH
OTHER.
>> PRITZKER GOT SOME TIME WITH
THE PRESIDENT, NOT QUITE
ONE-ON-ONE NOT REALLY IN
PRIVATE.
AFTER THE EVENT PRITZKER SAYS HE
AND BIDEN TALKED MOSTLY ABOUT
THE ECONOMY.
THE GOVERNOR SAYING ILLINOIS HAS
A LOT OF JOB CREATING TO DO AND
A LOT OF JOBS THAT NEED FILLING.
CHICAGO'S VIOLENCE ISSUES DID
NOT COME UP IN THEIR
CONVERSATION.
BUT AS FOR THE BIDEN'S CALL FOR
BUSINESSES TO INSTITUTE THESE
VACCINE MANDATES, WELL, THE
GOVERNOR IS TRYING TO IMPLEMENT
VACCINE REQUIREMENTS ON THE
STATE LEVEL AT LEAST FOR STATE
EMPLOYEES WHO WORK WITH WHAT HE
CALLS THE STATE'S MOST
VULNERABLE RESIDENTS SO THOSE IN
PRISONS, HEALTHCARE FACILITIES,
VETERANS HOMES RUN BY THE STATE.
BUT SO FAR THE GOVERNOR HAS ONLY
SECURED DEALS WITH THREE SMALL
UNIONS INCLUDING TWO NEW DEALS
ANNOUNCED TODAY ON GETTING
VACCINES UNDERWAY.
NEGOTIATIONS, HOWEVER, STILL
ONGOING WITH THE STATE'S LARGEST
PUBLIC EMPLOYEES UNION.
THE GOVERNOR SAYS HE IS
FOCUSING, AGAIN, ON EMPLOYEES
WHO WORK DIRECTLY WITH THE MOST
VULNERABLE.
BUT THEN, HE WILL TURN TO ANY
POTENTIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE
REST OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS
WORKFORCE.
NOW, BY THE WAY, NOT THE ONLY
BIDEN MAKING IT TO ILLINOIS.
FIRST LADY JILL BIDEN IS