In a groundbreaking move, Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican from Texas, has unveiled a new bill that would empower Americans to sue COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers for adverse health effects supposedly caused by the vaccine. The Let Injured Americans Be Legally Empowered (LIABLE) Act aims to strip away the statutory protections enjoyed by these manufacturers, thus enabling civil lawsuits against them.

The summary of the LIABLE Act obtained by Fox News Digital states that the proposed legislation will allow Americans who took vaccines that were misleadingly promoted and forcefully administered via federal mandates to seek compensation through civil litigation for any resulting injuries. These vaccines received emergency use authorization without going through the usual FDA approval process.

Currently, manufacturers and healthcare providers involved in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines are mostly shielded from civil lawsuits, even if individuals provide medical evidence of vaccine-related injuries. This immunity stems from the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act of 2005, which limits liability for the manufacturing, development, and distribution of medical countermeasures during public health emergencies.

Under the PREP Act, the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP) was established, but it has only compensated people on 11 occasions despite receiving thousands of claims. Rep. Roy, citing this limited recourse, argues that millions of Americans were coerced into taking the COVID-19 vaccine under false pretenses, leading to injuries. He believes that individuals should have the opportunity to seek compensation for these injuries.

Although the public health emergency declaration for the COVID-19 pandemic expired in May, the liability protections provided by the PREP Act for the vaccine are expected to remain in effect until the end of this year, as per the Congressional Research Service.

Rep. Roy's LIABLE Act would allow individuals who claim to have been injured by the vaccine to retroactively sue manufacturers, bypassing the existing protections mentioned earlier. While the COVID-19 vaccine has been hailed for saving countless lives, critics have raised concerns about potential side effects such as blood clots, strokes, and even sudden death. However, it is worth noting that many of these cases are still under investigation.

Republican lawmakers, who have long argued that mandating the COVID-19 vaccine violates Americans' right to privacy, are alarmed by the trend of alleged vaccine-related injuries. Andrew Powaleny, a spokesperson for PhRMA, criticized the bill, arguing that it could hinder the development of safe and effective vaccines in the face of future public health threats.

Rep. Roy has been at the forefront of opposition to vaccine mandates, including leading efforts to reverse COVID-19 vaccine mandates in the U.S. military. With the introduction of the LIABLE Act, he seeks to provide a legal avenue for individuals who believe they have been harmed by the COVID-19 vaccine to seek compensation from manufacturers.

As the debate surrounding the liability of COVID-19 vaccine makers intensifies, it remains to be seen how this bill will be received in Congress and what implications it may have for future public health emergency responses.