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Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C., tweeted Americans don’t “need permission” to celebrate.

Biden said if we get vaccinated “There’s a chance” we can celebrate July 4th…

I have some news for you.

The American people and I do NOT need your permission to celebrate July 4th and this country.

— Madison Cawthorn (@CawthornforNC) March 12, 2021

Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said small gatherings could be safe even sooner, along the lines of what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised earlier this week.

“I think the majority of Americans are going to be getting together long before July,” Gottlieb said on CNBC Friday. \"When people feel the risk declining because they’ve been vaccinated, because they see infection levels going down in many parts of the country, they’re going to be willing to take more risk because they sense that their vulnerability is declining. And you know what? They’re right.\"

ABC News’ Ben Gittleson contributed to this report.

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