The White House will reportedly charge $170 for COVID testing for reporters.
The Biden Administration is imposing that each journalist pay $170 to be tested for COVID-19 daily, Christian News Journal was told over the weekend. The new rule will take effect on Monday.
White House journalist Dr. Matthew Anthony Harper with the InterMountain Christian News shared, “The White House says that they can’t afford to pay for [my required] daily Covid-19 testing and that I will have to pay $170 per day for this testing before I can enter the White House. This is a gross injustice putting a wall up for press access directly affecting my Freedom of the Press.”
President Biden‘s team said the testing has become a strain on the budget. . What kind of COVID test is the White House using where it costs $170?
Another news correspondent told the the Washington Post, that “Nobody asked us to pay a fee to put up the fence,” referring to security fences remaining around the complex.
The change is another step to reduce press access. “Our non profit news organization and many other news outlets don’t have funds to be paying this,” said Dr. Harper.
Costs related to health have been covered by the White House.
Check out more tweets after the news leaked:
The White House Correspondents’ Association is arguing that small news organizations would be burdened by the cost.
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Corine Gatti-Santillo