Rep. Ted Lieu Calls Out GOP Lawmaker Who Opposes 'Vaccine Coercion'

California Democratic Representative Ted Lieu replied to a Texas Republican congressman's adamant refusal to "comply with a COVID vaccine mandate," accusing the GOP lawmaker of seemingly hypocritical stances toward vaccinations.

Lieu on Saturday morning responded to Texas GOP Congressman Chip Roy's tweet in which the longtime opponent of any and all government-mandated health care refused to put up with "vaccine coercion."

In his Friday Twitter post, Roy sought to promote a "#ChooseFreedom" trend on social media as he and other Republicans pushed back against the Biden administration's push to get every American vaccinated against COVID-19. Cases of the so-called Delta variant of the virus have shot up in recent weeks as state lawmakers across the U.S. weigh whether to re-implement pandemic mask rules.

"I will not comply with a vaccine mandate, vaccine passport, or other vaccine coercion. #ChooseFreedom #HealthcareFreedom," Roy posted to social media Saturday afternoon, prompting Lieu's rebuttal Sunday.

But Lieu responded to Roy in his own tweet: "I simply note that Texas mandates vaccines such as the polio vaccine if a child wants to go to childcare or school. Because we all want freedom from polio. #ChooseFreedom."

Lieu joined supporters of nationwide COVID-19 vaccinations who frequently call out the overwhelming percentages of American children who receive chickenpox, polio, measles, mumps and rubella vaccines every year without grandstanding opposition.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data released last month, about 67 percent of U.S. adults had received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine.

The CDC noted that about 90 precent of U.S. children are immunized against chickenpox and measles by the time they are two years old.

Last Wednesday, Roy chastised House Democrats from the floor of the chamber as he ridiculed the idea "there is a crisis at our [southern] border and we're playing footsie with mask mandates in the people's house. It's absolutely absurd, it's an embarrassment, it's a mockery and the American people are fed up. They want to go back to life, they want to go back to business, they want to go back to school without their children being forced to wear masks."

Lawmakers across the country this week are debating whether public schools should be requiring children and teachers to wear masks as they return to classrooms. The discussion has largely fallen on partisan lines, with Republicans like Roy predominately opposing such measures as overkill.

Newsweek reached out to the congressional offices of both Lieu and Roy for any additional remarks or context for their comments.