The White House plans to roll out a new policy starting Monday that would charge journalists $170 to take a COVID-19 test every time they enter the grounds, and reporters in the press corps and beyond are not happy about it.
The Washington Post revealed the plan, reporting that the Biden administration is getting pushback from media outlets large and small who are unhappy about being asked to pay the government what could amount to tens of thousands of dollars for the privilege of doing their jobs.
But the Biden administration says the tests are just too expensive for the White House to keep paying.
The outlet pointed out:
Until now, the cost of testing has been borne by the White House. But officials there contend that the cost of maintaining the testing regime for nearly a year has strained its budget. So it wants to shift the burden onto news organizations: No test, no entry to the White House.
Reporters from across the country also expressed their frustrations and dismay over the new policy on social media.- READ MORE
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