"The View" co-host Sunny Hostin said that Americans "have the freedom to die from COVID" but not to vote after the Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision that the Biden administration's vaccine mandate for large businesses could no longer be enforced.
The Supreme Court made two rulings Thursday in regard to federal vaccine mandates, allowing such a mandate to go into effect for health care workers at facilities that receive Medicaid and Medicare funding while barring the enforcement of a vaccine mandate for businesses employing at least 100 workers.
The mandate for businesses, which took effect Monday before being blocked by the Supreme Court, had the Occupational Safety and Health Administration enforce a rule stating that businesses with at least 100 employees must mandate that their workers get vaccinated or undergo weekly testing. The court ruled that OSHA did not have the authority to impose the mandate, noting that the law that created OSHA "empowers the Secretary to set workplace safety standards, not broad public health measures."
SCOTUS BLOCKS BIG BUSINESS VAX MANDATE: #TheView panel weighs in after the Supreme Court blocked Pres. Biden’s vaccine-or-test mandate for large businesses, but did allow a mandate for certain health care workers. https://t.co/KPnhClOBCA pic.twitter.com/ONrMsrEc9b
— The View (@TheView) January 14, 2022
Hostin called the decision a "direct result of the conservative majority" of the Supreme Court and claimed that the GOP is singing a different tune now in regard to voting legislation than it was when voting on whether the recent additions to the high court should have a seat on the bench.
"It’s also a result of the hypocrisy of the Republican Party who filibustered and now have three Supreme Court Justices that are conservative," Hostin said Friday. "They changed the rules for that, but they won't change the rules for voting rights."
"While it’s not a surprise, it does highlight their hypocrisy because this was for a 6-3 vote," she continued. "So I say to Americans, I hope that you're enjoying your freedoms because this is based on freedom, right? The concept of freedom, so now you have the freedom to get COVID ... You have the freedom to die from COVID and your freedom from mandates and you now don't have the freedom to vote, you don't have the freedom to read Toni Morrison, and women don't have freedom over their own bodies."
Hostin was referring to Morrison's novel, "Beloved," which has received criticisms in the debate over critical race theory and what works should be taught in schools.
Fellow co-host Joy Behar replied by suggesting that it is "time to make some changes" to the Supreme Court like imposing term limits or increasing the number of justices on the bench.
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