In a mostly partisan vote, the United States Senate has voted to repeal President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 testing-or-vaccine mandate for private sector workers across the nation.
Congressional Republicans – along with Congressional Democrats Joe Manchin and Jon Tester – led a battle in the Senate to argue that the vaccine measures put in place for American workers are unconstitutional and a burden. With only needing a simple majority to pass to the House, passed by a 52-48 vote.
“I want to go off script for a second and emphasize how important the vaccine is, especially booster shots for the omicron variant,” Senator Roger Marshall told journalists before the Senate vote. “But the mandate is going to backfire. The people that have thus far have not gotten, have not received the vaccine are not going to do it until this White House acknowledges natural immunity.”
Senate Republicans labeled it a rebuke against Joe Biden.
Sen. Bill Hagerty claimed it was a “message to the White House” informing Biden and his advisors “that they have overstepped and this anti-worker vaccine mandate should be immediately withdrawn.” Sen. Mike Braun added that the “vote is a crystal clear message to the @WhiteHouse: Back off, and stop this crazy federal overreach immediately.”
If the resolution passes in the Democratic-controlled House, it will be sent to President Joe Biden’s desk. The Biden administration has strongly indicated that Biden would veto the measure.
This vote comes after a federal judge voted to temporarily halted the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors across the country. In a 28-page ruling, the federal judge stated “The Court acknowledges the tragic toll that the COVID-19 pandemic has wrought throughout the nation and the globe.”
The federal judge went on to say “However, even in times of crisis this Court must preserve the rule of law and ensure that all branches of government act within the bounds of their constitutionally granted authorities.”
