FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT INFORMATION: Luke Sprinkel - (651) 296-9183 - Luke.Sprinkel@house.mn
RELEASE DATE: 1/13/2022
U.S. SUPREME COURT BLOCKS BIDEN VACCINE MANDATE FOR BUSINESSES
St. Paul – Today, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked President Biden’s vaccine mandate for large businesses with more than 100 employees. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) had issued emergency measures that required employees at these large businesses to be vaccinated, submit to weekly testing, or be fired. That rule, which took effect earlier this week, was blocked in a 6-3 decision.
“The federal government’s deranged plot to force businesses to vaccinate their employees has been defeated,” said Rep. Jeremy Munson (R-Lake Crystal). “Over 80 million Americans were staring down the prospect of forced vaccination, weekly testing, or losing their jobs because of Biden’s psychotic mandate. Fortunately, millions of Minnesota businesses and workers who wanted no part of this mandate will not be forced to live by it. This is a huge win for liberty, and a huge win for the people.”
“I am grateful the Supreme Court took up this issue and arrived at an opinion that supports human freedom,” said Rep. Tim Miller (R-Prinsburg). “However, I am nevertheless shocked that this is where we have arrived as a country. A massive federal bureaucracy, led by an illinformed and ill-equipped president, tried to deprive millions of their freedom and livelihood. The conservative majority on the Supreme Court saved us from disaster this time, but we need to ask ourselves why we willingly submit to abusive leadership from our elected politicians.”
While the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the vaccine mandate for large businesses, they issued another decision which kept the mandate in place for health care workers.
“While I am thrilled the Supreme Court shut down Biden’s mandate on large businesses, I find it extremely frustrating that they left it in place for health workers,” said Rep. Steve Drazkowski (R-Mazeppa). “Many of my constituents work for the Mayo Clinic, and they were subjected to a vaccine mandate. Over 700 Mayo Clinic employees were fired because of it. To me, the Supreme Court’s legal reasoning does not make sense. If the mandate is unconstitutional to force on business employees, then why is it legal to force on healthcare employees? Selective constitutionality is totally wrong, and it subverts our rule of law.”
Rep. Cal Bahr (R-East Bethel) concluded, “The Supreme Court rightly stated that OSHA does not get to expand its authority just because the president says so. Still, I have to ask: where would we be if the Supreme Court did not have a conservative majority? I’ll tell you; we would be locked in an even more oppressive and abusive relationship with our government. The people need to realize that the leviathan is far outside of its constitutional restraints. We are only barely getting by, and the jaws of authoritarianism will only continue to close around us. It is not enough simply to stave off atrocious policy, we need to make true substantive changes to restore our republic.”
Rep. Steve Drazkowski (Republican-Mazeppa), Rep. Tim Miller (Republican-Prinsburg), Rep. Cal Bahr (Republican-East Bethel), and Rep. Jeremy Munson (Republican-Lake Crystal) are members of the New House Republican Caucus.
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