March 12, 2021

The Honorable Robert J. Fenton Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Administrator Federal Emergency Management Agency 500 C Street, SW Washington, DC 20472

Dear Acting Administrator Fenton,

We greatly appreciate your efforts to expeditiously vaccinate our constituents throughout the state and across the country. Given the circumstances, including limited supply, logistical hurdles, lack of pre-planning from the prior presidential administration, and tremendous magnitude of the task, the country’s vaccination campaign has made admirable progress. We write to you today about the recent decision to limit vaccine eligibility at the United Center Federal Mass Vaccination Center to individuals in and suburban Cook County residents.

We share and champion the goal of equitable distribution of the vaccine and understand that difficult decisions must be made to ensure vaccines are delivered to vulnerable populations and communities with the highest rates of infection and mortality. Nevertheless, many of our constituents who fall in the vulnerable category, but who don’t live in Chicago, felt frustrated with the recent determination to limit eligibility at the United Center Federal Mass Vaccination Center for residents outside of the city and county. Their confusion was exacerbated with the abruptness of the announcement, and the consequent uncertainty surrounding their future access to a vaccination appointment.

Pockets of vulnerability exist all across our state, both in the collar counties and downstate, and each of us represent underserved, socially vulnerable Illinoisans that are all hoping for timely and straightforward access to the vaccine. Restricting these populations from seeking appointments at the United Center Federal Mass Vaccination Center is a departure from the site’s initial message of ensuring all underserved Illinoisans have access to COVID-19 vaccines. Moving forward, we respectfully ask you to continue to ensure future decisions on eligibility be fully considered and communicated with all vulnerable Illinoisans – including those beyond Chicago. With this in mind, we respectfully ask the following questions: 1. Considering the United Center’s current limitations and focus on vaccinating Chicago residents, can you share any plans for FEMA to set up other mass vaccination sites or provide more mobile vaccine units to residents in the surrounding communities and rest of the state? If so, can FEMA please detail those plans, including a timetable for execution as well as support needed to begin implementation? 2. What factors or criteria determine the placement of a federal site? What is the plan to include local health care providers and trusted community organizations in that process of designation, set-up, and implementation? 3. Does FEMA have any plans to extend the duration of the United Center Federal Mass Vaccination Center beyond the initial eight-week commitment, in particular with new vaccine supply coming online daily?

Thank you for your timely attention to this matter. We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

______/x/______Bradley S. Schneider Member of Congress Member of Congress

__/x/______/x/______Danny K. Davis Member of Congress Member of Congress

__/x/______/x/______Robin Kelly Member of Congress Member of Congress

__/x/______/x/______Jesús G. "Chuy" García Member of Congress Member of Congress

__/x/______/x/______Bobby L. Rush Mike Quigley Member of Congress Member of Congress

__/x/______Marie Newman Member of Congress