Congresswoman Tenney Urges Exemption for Novak Djokovic to Compete in US Open, Removal of Vaccine Mandates

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22) today sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging him to issue a National Interest Exemption so that world renowned tennis star Novak Djokovic can compete in the 2022 U.S. Open in New York. In the letter, Tenney also pressed for the removal of the vaccine mandate for international travel.

Under Presidential Proclamation 10294, individuals who are not U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, or U.S. nationals, are subject to a vaccine mandate in order to enter the country. As such, tennis star Novak Djokovic, who has had COVID-19 but has not received a COVID-19 vaccine, is ineligible to travel to the United States to compete in the 2022 U.S. Open, despite the fact that unvaccinated Americans will participate in the tournament.

Tenney wrote in part, “In the long-term, I urge you to address this discrepancy and support policies based on science, not politics. At minimum, you should recognize prior infection and the natural immunity it confers. However, I would also urge you to scrap the policy altogether, acknowledging both the present shortcomings of the COVID vaccine as well as the rights of individuals to decide for themselves whether to receive it… In the short-term, I urge you to grant National Interest exemptions to competitors seeking to participate in the U.S. Open, including Mr. Djokovic. It is time for the United States to resume its normal international travel procedures and drop all vaccination requirements for entry.”

The letter was also sent to Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Lee Satterfield, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, and Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Rochelle Walensky.

The full text of the letter is available here.

###