WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Wednesday applauded passage of his amendments calling for a strategy from the administration to send supplemental doses of vaccines to embassies and consulates to reach unvaccinated Americans abroad, and urging foreign governments in places like Egypt to release political prisoners at risk of contracting COVID-19 in detention. Both amendments passed as part of the legislation Murphy helped author—the International Pandemic Preparedness and COVID-19 Response Act (S. 2297).

“As much as we’re still dealing with the impact of COVID-19 here at home, we also have to stay focused on the unique challenges this pandemic poses overseas. I’m glad my amendments to get more vaccines to Americans abroad and push governments to release political prisoners due to COVID-19 risks were adopted by the Committee today,” said Murphy.

In June, Murphy led his colleagues on both sides of the aisle in calling on U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to support COVID-19 vaccination efforts for the nine million Americans living abroad. Last year, Murphy led his colleagues on both sides of the aisle in calling on then U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to press foreign governments, like Egypt, to immediately release U.S. citizens and political prisoners detained abroad at higher risk of contracting COVID-19.

###