President Joe Biden on a call with governors Monday said he agrees with two GOP state executives that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to mitigate COVID-19, even as his administration is pushing major federal solutions to the pandemic that's nearly two years old, Fox News reported. Biden made the comment after Arkansas Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson, chair of the National Governors Association, cautioned the president against taking actions that may step on states' toes as they aim to fight the virus. "One word of concern or encouragement for your team is that as you look towards federal solutions that will help alleviate the challenge, make sure that we do not let federal solutions stand in the way of state solutions," Hutchinson said. "There is no federal solution. This gets solved at the state level," Biden responded. Biden, however, has put the federal government in a central role on pandemic mitigation measures. The Education Department opened civil rights probes into several states for banning school mask mandates. The president continues to mandate masks in airports, airplanes and on public transportation — and his administration increased fines for those who don't comply. The administration is currently going to the Supreme Court to defend its vaccine mandate for any private businesses with more than 100 employees. The president during the call Monday projected confidence in the U.S.’s ability to handle the omicron variant, saying that it "is a source of concern, but it should not be a source of panic."
