Despite ongoing antisemitism in the U.S., including on college campuses, Jewish athletes helped propel the U.S. men and women’s hockey teams to win gold medals in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
Members of the men’s team appeared at the State of Union address Tuesday night, receiving a standing ovation with members of Congress chanting, “USA! USA!”
“It’s the first time I’ve seen [nearly all Democrats] stand up,” President Donald Trump said.
The men’s hockey team defeated the U.S. archrival Canada on Feb. 22. It was the 46-year anniversary of the last time the U.S. men’s hockey team won gold. On Feb. 22, 1980, the U.S. men’s hockey team defeated the Soviet Union in the semifinals in what was described as the “Miracle on Ice” before going on to win gold.
Canadians have considered hockey their sport, dominating the Olympics and world stage, winning nine gold medals, the most of any country. But over the past several decades, the U.S. has built a formidable hockey program. The win on Sunday was the culmination of years of hard work and a dream 46 years in the making.
Both U.S. men’s and women’s teams defeated Canada in overtime to take home gold medals.
The men’s goalie, Connor Hellebuyck, had a .956 save percentage during the Olympics tournament with 41 saves in the game against Canada alone. Trump said he is awarding him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest presidential award given to civilians.
Leading the team to victory was Jack Hughes, who scored the “golden goal” to secure gold for Team USA. He was the first Jewish hockey player to be picked No. 1 in the NHL draft in U.S. history.
His older brother, Quinn, one of the best defensemen in the NHL, also was a key player in Team USA’s win. Jeremy Swayman was the third Jewish player on the team.
Jewish athlete Aerin Frankel, a two-time IIHF Women’s World Champion gold and silver medalist, also helped propel the women’s hockey team to victory as its star goalie. She previously made Winter Olympics history as the first goalie with three shutouts in a single Olympic tournament. No other goalie for any country can claim this feat. She is one of a handful of Jewish female players in the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
One of Team USA’s women’s coaches, an All-Star hockey player herself, was Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, Jack and Quinn’s mother.
The women’s hockey team will visit the White House, Trump said. Both teams represent the “spirit of winning” in America, he said. Earlier in the day, the men’s team arrived at the White House prior to making an appearance at the State of the Union address.
During the gold medal game, Jack Quinn was slammed by a Canadian player, breaking his front tooth with blood streaming down his face. After the game, he wore the American flag around his shoulders, smiling with a bloody mouth. He told NBC News, “I love the USA. I love my teammates. I’m so proud to be an American. We’re USA. We’re so proud to be Americans. We’re so proud to win for our country.”
Two days later, after the historic Olympic win, the Trump administration sued UCLA claiming antisemitic violence, open harassment of Jewish students, faculty and staff after the university refused to respond to civil rights complaints filed by Jewish and Israeli employees in nearly three years.
Ongoing issues at UCLA continue after antisemitic violence erupted on college campuses nationwide after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel. During the State of the Union speech, Trump criticized Democratic U.S. Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, who he and others have argued have fomented antisemitism and violence in the U.S. They jeered in response.
In 2024, the number of antisemitic attacks tracked by the Anti-Defamation League were the most on record since it began reporting antisemitic incidents in 1979, The Center Square reported. There were 9,354 antisemitic incidents reported nationwide, including of harassment, vandalism and assault against Jewish- and Israeli-Americans or Jewish institutions and houses of worship.
The majority, 64%, occurred in 10 states. New York led the U.S. with the most, followed by California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maryland, Florida, Illinois, Colorado and Virginia.
In an effort to hold accountable financiers of antisemitic riots, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and several Republican cosponsors, introduced the Stop Financial Underwriting of Nefarious Demonstrations and Extremist Riots (Stop FUNDERs) Act, The Center Square reported. Other bills were also filed to address antisemitism that have yet to pass and be signed into law.
Despite ongoing threats, a group that tracks antisemitism in the U.S. and abroad, expressed optimism, pointing to Jack Hughes’ pride to be an American. It said, “His words reflect what so many American Jews feel every day: deep gratitude, unwavering patriotism, and profound love for this country. American Jews are proud to call the U.S. home, proud to represent it, and proud to contribute to its strength and success on the world stage.”

Roadway safety across all 50 states through core elements of legal compliance, attentiveness and defensive techniques coupled with American border security were spotlighted in the State of the Union on Tuesday evening.
Second-term Republican President Donald Trump, in his address to a joint session of Congress boycotted by 15 senators and 70 members of the House, said he is seeking passage of the Dalilah Law that would prohibit “any state from granting commercial driver’s licenses to illegal aliens.”
The namesake and her father, Dalilah Coleman and Marcus Coleman, respectively, were guests of Trump for his 108-minute speech.
“Dalilah Coleman was only 5 years old in June 2024 when an 18-wheel tractor-trailer plowed into her stopped car traveling at 60 miles an hour or more,” Trump said. “The driver was an illegal alien let in by Joe Biden and given a commercial driver’s license by open borders politicians in California.”
In a Bakersfield, Calif., interview airing last week, Marcus Coleman told a television outlet four times his family was told she would not live. He favors legislative changes making only legal citizens with completed background check eligible for commercial driver’s licenses.
Partap Singh, 20, was the driver of the big rig in the collision. He was deported to India in September.
In an email to The Center Square, Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, said, “Tonight, the president highlighted the tragic consequences of a preventable truck crash caused by an unqualified truck driver. For professional truckers, safety is not political, it is our daily responsibility.
“Ensuring that every individual operating an 80,000-pound commercial vehicle on America’s highways is properly vetted, trained, and held to consistent standards is essential to protecting our members and the motoring public.”
Dalilah Coleman was in a coma for three months and diagnosed with head trauma.
“When a vehicle accident happens,” Marcus Coleman told KGET, “the truck doesn’t care if you’re a Republican or you’re a Democrat, or you’re 18 years old or 9 years old. It doesn’t matter what side of the field you’re playing on. It’s going to happen, has happened and is continuing to happen.”
Trump said his administration, on this issue led by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Administrator Derek Barrs of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, is “not playing games.”
“Doctors said Dalilah would never be able to walk or talk, have a good life,” he said. “She wouldn’t even be able to eat again. But against all odds, she is now in the first grade, learning to walk.
“Many, if not most, illegal aliens do not speak English and cannot read even the most basic road signs as to direction, speed, danger or location. That’s why tonight I’m calling on Congress to pass what we will call the Dalilah Law, barring any state from granting commercial driver’s licenses to illegal aliens.”
A statement from the Commercial Vehicle Training Association said in part, “For too long, gaps in oversight, inconsistent enforcement, and exploitation of regulatory loopholes have placed American motorists at risk and undermined reputable CDL training providers. Dalilah’s Law represents an important step toward restoring integrity to the system by ensuring that only properly trained, properly licensed, and legally authorized drivers are operating commercial motor vehicles on our nation’s highways.”
Spencer said, “OOIDA and the professional truck drivers we represent will continue supporting efforts at USDOT and in Congress to strengthen licensing standards and training requirements that will make our roads safer for everyone.”

The economy, immigration and patriotism took center stage Tuesday night as President Donald Trump delivered his second State of the Union Address of his second term.
Flanked by members of his cabinet, Supreme Court justices, military leaders and members of Congress, the president spoke for over an hour and a half.
Upon entering the chamber, the president was greeted with Republicans chanting, “USA, USA…”
“Our nation is back, bigger, better and richer and stronger than ever before,” Trump began his address, calling this time the “golden age of America.”
The president quickly compared the successes of his presidency to the Biden administration.
“Today, our border is secure, our spirit is restored. Inflation is plummeting, incomes are rising fast. The roaring economy is roaring like never before, and our enemies are scared. Our military and police are stacked, and America is respected again,” Trump said.
Trump touted his immigration policies, arguing the border is the “most secure border in American history.” In one year, illegal border crossings dropped by 96% at the southwest border, from the record highs during the Biden administration, The Center Square reported earlier Tuesday.
The president also cited the decline in the murder rate, lower gas prices, lower inflation, and lower mortgage rates.
In addition, he credited his administration with creating thousands of new jobs, underscoring that most have been in the private sector.
“The state of our union is strong,” the president said.
Many in the chamber erupted in loud applause and chants of “USA, USA…” as the president introduced the U.S. Olympics men’s hockey team that just won the gold medal.
The president credited his fellow Republicans in Congress for passing his “Big, Beautiful Bill,” while chastising Democrats for voting against the legislation that he credits for lowering taxes.
Among the economic incentives the president touted was the Trump Accounts set up for children.
In an uncomfortable moment, the president criticized some members of the U.S. Supreme Court that ruled Friday against his tariffs, vowing to continue to pursue them.
Trump took aim at Democrats in the room for allowing open borders, higher inflation and skyrocketing health care costs.
The president countered by citing his plan to lower health care costs by promoting price transparency and reducing prescription drug costs.
Trump called on Congress to codify his favorite nation program into law to lower the cost of medication.
The president also announced that AI tech companies will be obligated to build their own power plants.
He also highlighted his recent executive order banning large Wall Street investment firms from buying single-family homes, while calling on Congress to codify his executive action.
In addition, he announced a plan to give the private sector access to similar retirement plans “offered to every federal worker,” adding that it will be matched by $1,000 in federal taxpayer dollars.
The president also urged Congress to pass legislation to stop insider trading, specifically calling out former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has been accused of using her position to increase her family’s wealth through stock trading.
Trump pointed to allegations of fraud, spotlighting Minnesota, California, Massachusetts and Maine, announcing that Vice President JD Vance will lead the “war on fraud.”
The president called out Democrats for their open border policies, while highlighting angel families and victims of illegal immigration, “to remind everyone in this chamber exactly why we are deporting illegal alien criminals.”
Trump called out Democrats for cutting off funding for the Department of Homeland Security through the ongoing partial government shutdown. Democrats have blocked funding for the agency as they demand restrictions on enforcement of federal immigration laws.
The president demanded Democrats end “deadly sanctuary cities” while enacting “serious penalties for public officials who block the removal of criminal aliens.”
Trump then called on Congress to pass his SAVE America Act, which would secure voting by requiring voter ID. He noted New York City demanded identification for snow removers present ID to apply for jobs after the recent winter storm under self-declared socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
“Congress should unite and enact this common-sense country-saving legislation right now and it should be before anything else happens,” the president demanded.
Trump also highlighted Sage Blair, a Virginia student, who school officials “sought to socially transition her” without her parents’ consent or knowledge.
When Trump said that shoud never happen, Republicans stood up and cheered whilre Democrats remained seated and silent.
“Nobody stands up. These people are crazy,” Trump said, staring down the Democrat side of the aisle.
The president also criticized no cash bail policies, calling on Congress to pass “tough legislation to ensure that violent and dangerous repeat offenders are put behind bars.”
He touted his efforts to reduce crime in major cities, such as the District of Columbia, Memphis, and New Orleans.
The president also honored the two West Virginia Guardsmen shot blocks from the White House on the eve of Thanksgiving, including Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, who was killed. Trump introduced Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, who was also shot and seriously injured during the attack. Wolf was awarded the Purple Heart during the address.
In addition, Trump touched on his international accomplishments over the past year, ending several wars and conflicts, calling Secretary of State Marco Rubio one of the best secretaries in history.
Many Democrats managed to stand and applaud the president for working to bring home Israeli hostages.
Trump highlighted Operation Midnight Hammer, striking Iran’s nuclear program. He underscored the atrocities carried out by Iran as he is weighing another operation against the Islamic Republic. He warned that Iran has developed missiles “that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they’re working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America.”
The president said he would prefer diplomacy, but “will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon.”
“I will never let the world’s number one sponsor of terror have a nuclear weapon,” the president vowed.
Trump shifted to his policies to prioritize dominance in the Western Hemisphere by targeting narco-terrorists and foreign interference, spotlighting the capture of former Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro.
Trump used the address to award the Congressional Medal of Honor to Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover for his heroic actions in Venezuela, and to 100-year-old Ret. Navy Captain Royce Williams, who served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam – drawing massive applause from both Democrats and Republicans in the chamber.
The president concluded his address by highlighting the nation’s 250th birthday and its achievements since its birth.
“And these first 250 years were just the beginning, from the rugged border towns of Texas to the heartland villages of Michigan, from the sun-kissed shores of Florida to the endless fields of the Dakotas, and from the historic streets of Philadelphia to right here in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., the golden age of America is upon us. The revolution that began in 1776 has not ended. It still continues because the flame of liberty and inpendence still burns in the heart of every American patriot, and our future will be bigger, better, brighter, bolder and more glorious than ever before,” the president concluded.

Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger slammed the Trump administration Tuesday night during the Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.
Spanberger slammed the Trump administration’s tariff policies, immigration enforcement and called for a greater focus on affordability.
“As we watched our nation’s lawmakers gather for a joint session of Congress, we did not hear the truth from our president,” Spanberger argued.
Spanberger claimed Trump’s tariff policies have cost Americans more than $1,700 and caused small businesses to struggle. Spanberger and majority Democrats in the Virginia state legislature have proposed tax increases that could cost state taxpayers up to an estimated $6.6 billion in fiscal year 2027 alone, according to a police memo from the Advancing American Freedom Foundation.
She cited the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” as the cause of rural hospital closures.
“Tonight, the President celebrated this law, the one threatening rural hospitals, stripping health care for millions of Americans and driving up costs in energy and housing, all while cutting food programs for hungry kids,” Spanberger said.
Spanberger criticized the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement measures. She referenced the killing of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota at the hands of federal agents in January.
“Our broken immigration system is something to be fixed, not an excuse for unaccountable agents to terrorize our communities,” Spanberger said.
The governor also slammed Trump’s cabinet appointees and accused him of ceding power to international leaders in China and Russia. She referenced the White House ballroom construction project and the U.S. Department of Justice’s release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
She praised student groups and other activists across the country for engaging in walkouts to protest ICE. She also pointed to her 15-point margin of victory to become the first female governor of Virginia.
Spanberger also highlighted other Democratic victories in New Jersey, Georgia, Iowa and Texas. She called on Americans to honor the country’s 250th anniversary by uniting around a common cause.
“We, the people, have the power to make change, the power to stand up for what is right, the power to demand more of our nation.

President Donald Trump officially declared a “war on fraud” during his State of the Union address on Tuesday night. He named Vice President JD Vance as leader of the task force to fight fraud.
Trump claimed Somali fraud is up to $19 billion in Minnesota, greater than has previously been reported. He said it was “the kind of corruption that shreds the fabric of a nation.”
Trump suggested the efforts to tackle fraud could be used to balance the federal government’s budget. The U.S. national debt is more than $38 trillion.
“The Somali pirates who ransacked Minnesota remind us that there are large parts of the world where bribery, corruption and lawlessness are the norm, not the exception,” Trump said.
Trump blamed unrestricted immigration and open borders for the fraud issues. He said fraud leads to higher medical bills, car insurance, rent and taxes
Fraud allegations resurfaced in November when reports stated millions of taxpayers’ dollars were stolen from the state’s welfare system and sent to a Somali-based terror group. Dozens have already been convicted on fraud charges.
The allegations continued after conservative content creator Nick Shirley visited day care centers in Minnesota, alleging $110 million in fraud were spent in the child care centers. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz dropped out of the race for another term after allegations of fraud intensified.
Trump suggested California, Massachusetts and Maine are “even worse” in terms of fraud.
The president said the “war on fraud” began four months ago but stated he was officially announcing it on Tuesday night. The Trump administration has taken steps to cut funding for child care programs in states across the country.
The administration froze $10 billion in federal child care funding to California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York in January. Courts have sued to stop the freeze of funds. The administration has also sought to implement more rigorous verification methods for federal payments to child care facilities across the country.
Trump did not specify new details of the “war on fraud” during his address.

President Donald Trump delivers the second State of the Union address of his second term.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to add a video.
California drivers and their wallets would get some relief at the pump if a new bill passes the state Legislature this year.
Assembly Bill 1745, introduced by Assemblymember Jeff Gonzalez, R-Indio, would suspend the state’s gas tax for one year. The tax currently sits at 61 cents a gallon, according to lawmakers with knowledge of the bill.
“Californians pay among the highest gas prices in the nation,” Gonzalez said Tuesday at a press conference announcing the bill.
“While families are tightening their belts, Sacramento continues to ask them for more,” he told reporters at the Capitol in Sacramento. “Parents should not have to choose between paying for gas or buying groceries.”
According to AAA, California had the highest gas prices in the country on Tuesday. The average price of a gallon of gas in California was $4.63 a gallon, followed closely by Hawaii at $4.40 a gallon, Washington state at $4.35, Oregon at $3.91, Nevada at $3.70, Arizona at $3.25, Pennsylvania at $3.13 and Vermont at $3.
The lowest gas prices in the country on Tuesday were in Oklahoma, where the average price of gas was $2.37 a gallon, according to AAA’s fuel prices tracker. The national average price was $2.95.
“High gas taxes, rising fees and decisions from the politicians who control the capital are making it harder for working families to make ends meet,” said Assemblymember Leticia Castillo, R-Corona, during the press conference. “This bill is a simple common-sense solution. It would temporarily suspend the gas tax and put real money back into your pockets when you need it the most.”
The effort to temporarily lift the gas tax in California follows a bill introduced by Assemblymember Lori Wilson, D-Suisun City and chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee, that would study the impact and feasibility of imposing a per-mile road user charge on California’s drivers. Assembly Bill 1421 was introduced in response to fears of declining gas tax revenue as more California drivers buy electric cars – eliminating the need to fill up a vehicle’s tank.
The gas tax pays for the state’s roads and highway system, according to previous reporting by The Center Square. An elimination of that tax, even temporarily, would create a funding gap for the state’s roads that Republican lawmakers on Tuesday said they want to backfill with general fund money.
“By pausing this gas tax, we need to make sure that we replace it from the general,” Gonzalez said in response to a Center Square question after the press conference on Tuesday. “It has to be replaced. We’re doing this on the backs of Californians. We need to find a place to get it from and we can get it from the general [fund].”
Data from the Tax Foundation shows that California has the highest gas taxes in the country, at 70.92 cents a gallon. Illinois has the second-highest gas taxes in the country, at 66.4 cents per gallon, followed by 59.04 cents per gallon in Washington state and 58.7 per gallon in Pennsylvania.
Alaska has the lowest gas taxes in the country – 8.95 cents per gallon.
Suspending the tax has support from associations that represent gas marketers in California, who said on Tuesday that the gas tax adds to the strain for many of the state’s families.
“For families commuting to work, getting kids to school or traveling long distances in rural communities, every cent matters,” said Elizabeth Graham, CEO of California Fuels & Convenience Alliance at the press conference. “Suspending the gas tax would provide immediate, visible relief at the pump. When consumers keep more of their own money, that supports other local businesses and strengthens our communities.”

The U.S. Senate failed Tuesday night to advance the Homeland Security 2026 appropriations bill that would have ended the partial government shutdown.
“Republicans want to get to an agreement on Homeland Security funding. So does the White House. And we’ve acted in good faith throughout these negotiations,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said prior to the vote. “Are Democrats actually interested in a solution here, or are they just interested in a political issue?”
But 11 days since the Department of Homeland Security ran out of funds, Democrats are still refusing to provide the money unless Republicans agree to overhaul Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
Calls for greater accountability in DHS erupted after an ICE agent fatally shot 37-year-old Alex Pretti in January, the second killing during that month of a U.S. citizen protesting in Minneapolis.
Democrats’ policy demands include prohibiting DHS agents from wearing masks, racially profiling, indiscriminately arresting people, tracking protestors, or entering private property without a judicial warrant in addition to an immigration court warrant.
Other changes Democrats want to see include requiring agents to display ID, wear body cameras, and obtain the consent of states and localities to conduct large-scale operations, among other things.
The Trump administration has already agreed to some of the demands, such as requiring body-worn cameras and ending roving patrols.
But it has thrown cold water on most of the other measures, arguing that personal ID requirements would endanger agents and that requiring judicial warrants or making “sensitive” locations off-limits would handicap the agency’s ability to do its job.
This is the second time in less than six months that Democrats have forced a shutdown over policy demands, with the most recent lasting a record-long 43 days.
With no federal funding, DHS employees deemed “essential” – including TSA agents and most members of FEMA, the Coast Guard, and the Secret Service – must work without pay during a shutdown, while the rest are furloughed.
While those agencies haven’t closed, they have ceased nonessential operations. ICE, however, has felt no impact by the lapse in DHS funding.
The agency is already funded for the rest of the Trump administration regardless of annual appropriations, due to a $75 billion boost from Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill.

Editor’s note: This story was updated Tuesday night to add a comment from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The attorneys general of California and Arizona on Tuesday announced Democrats’ multi-state lawsuit to block the Trump administration’s overhaul of the childhood vaccine schedule.
Democratic officials are calling the federal action unlawful.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said the suit names the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as defendants.
The suit goes after “HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the CDC over their needless, confusing, scientifically unfound and unlawful revision of America’s immunization schedule,” said Mayes during a virtual press conference with California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
“Let me be clear about what happened here,” Mayes told reporters. “In January, an acting CDC director with no medical or scientific background signed off on a so-called decision memo that stripped seven critical vaccines of their recommended routine vaccination status in favor of an unwarranted shared clinical decision-making recommendation that is confusing for parents and providers alike and difficult for providers to implement.”
Jim O’Neill was made acting CDC director after the August firing of Susan Monarez.
O’Neill’s “Decision Memo” was announced Jan. 5. This followed a Dec. 5 memo from President Donald Trump that directed the leaders of HHS and CDC to review how other developed nations structure their childhood vaccination schedules and consider “the scientific evidence underlying those practices.” According to HHS, the leaders of the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services consulted with health ministries of peer nations, considered findings and later directed the CDC to move forward with implementation.
“The data support a more focused schedule that protects children from the most serious infectious diseases while improving clarity, adherence and public confidence,” said O’Neill in a January press release.
O’Neill has since been replaced by NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya.
In January, the CDC said it would continue to organize the childhood immunization schedule in three categories: recommended immunizations for all children, recommended immunizations for certain high-risk groups or populations, and immunizations based on shared clinical decision making.
The first category included shots for chickenpox, diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae type B, human papillomavirus, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, pertussis, pneumococcal disease and tetanus.
Gone are recommendations for vaccines for the flu, hepatitis A and B, rotavirus, and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus).
Bonta said he was proud to be part of this lawsuit, adding that it’s California’s 59th suit against the Trump administration.
“HHS Secretary RFK Jr. and his CDC are flouting decades of scientific research, ignoring credible medical experts and threatening to strain state resources and make America’s children sicker,” said Bonta. “Their actions have been unconscionable, illogical and illegal.”
Examples offered by Bonta include Kennedy “blowing past appointment requirements” for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, including that it be fairly balanced, and instead appointing “several anti-vaccine advocates and people without clear credentials” in immunization science.
The lawsuit is filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
The Center Square Tuesday contacted HHS, where spokesperson Richard Danker called the lawsuit a “publicity stunt.”
“By law, the health secretary has clear authority to make determinations on the CDC immunization schedule and the composition of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices,” said Danker, the assistant secretary for public affairs.
“The CDC immunization schedule reforms reflect common-sense public health policy shared by peer, developed countries,” Danker said, answering The Center Square’s question in an email Tuesday evening.
Earlier, HHS referred The Center Square to a previous statement that said the updated CDC childhood schedule “continues to protect children against serious diseases while aligning U.S. guidance with international norms.” HHS also claimed that many peer nations achieve high vaccination rates without mandates by relying on trust, education and strong doctor-patient relationships.
“HHS will work with states and clinicians to ensure families have clear, accurate information to make their own informed decisions,” said HHS.
With parties on both sides of the lawsuit pointing the finger at one another, The Center Square asked the Arizona Attorney General’s Office what people are supposed to think.
Richie Taylor, Mayes’ spokesperson, said the recommendations being defended in this lawsuit are the product of decades of rigorous scientific research and peer review by thousands of independent experts.
“The public should trust the same evidence-based processes that eliminated polio, controlled measles until recently, and has protected public health for generations,” Taylor told The Center Square Tuesday. “The measles outbreaks now occurring across the country are an example of what happens when science is dismissed.”
In addition to those from California and Arizona, attorney generals involved in this lawsuit are Democrats from Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania is also participating.