Vaccine distribution has been ‘seamless' under Biden: Gov. Asa Hutchinson

JACK ARNHOLZ

Republican Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Sunday that vaccine distribution has been "seamless" under the Biden administration.

"In terms of the vaccine distribution, it's been seamless. And I was delighted that we had a ... 14% increase in vaccine supply last week. This is going to be very, very important for us. They said they're going to invoke the Defense Production Act. I don't know the details on that, but anything they can do to speed up the production," Hutchinson said on ABC's "This Week."

"Thank goodness we have that partnership which is good with the federal government. And President Biden and his team is -- is working to assure that partnership and not tear it apart, which I'm very grateful for," he told "This Week" Co-anchor Martha Raddatz.

MORE: Biden signals support for Senate Democrats moving on COVID relief without GOP backing

Raddatz also spoke with top officials in West Virginia, a state that has been praised for its successful vaccination roll-out as many of other states struggle.

She asked what other states should do differently and West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice said, "Well, I'd say for crying out loud, if it's not working quit running the same play. I mean, you know, call us up on the phone and we'll tell you exactly what to do and exactly what to do tomorrow. I mean this is not rocket science."

"I do congratulate West Virginia," Hutchinson said in response. "They did a great job in their rollout. And I think the message is that every state has to have flexibility -- do something that works for their population. We've actually done many of the same things they did in West Virginia, which is utilizing our local pharmacies … (and) the National Guard."

Arkansas has administered less than 65% of its distributed vaccine doses while West Virginia had dispensed nearly 85%, according to The New York Times.

Raddatz also pressed the Arkansas governor on the recent controversy surrounding GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.

Greene has come under intense criticism this week for comments and actions she made before and during her time in office. CNN's KFile, in a report on her online activity, said Greene allegedly "liked" a comment on her Facebook page in 2019 that threatened Pelosi life and other Democrats.

ABC News cannot confirm the "likes" because the posts have been deleted.

Hutchinson said that he "would not vote" for her, but stopped short of saying she should be punished for her comments.

"I would not vote for her. The second question is, should the House of Representatives make a disciplinary call on her? I'm not going to get in the middle of that. They're going to have to make that judgment," the governor said.

ABC News' Mariam Khan contributed to this story.

This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates.

Vaccine distribution has been ‘seamless' under Biden: Gov. Asa Hutchinson originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

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