On Thursday, Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ) shared a letter she wrote to President Biden calling him out on his hypocrisy and government overreach regarding the vaccine mandates he announced last week.
?? READ: In my letter to President Biden, I express concern over his unconstitutional vaccine mandates on PRIVATE businesses. I URGE him to reconsider this blatant disregard for our individual freedoms as Americans. pic.twitter.com/71e8ktgN8C
— Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (@RepDLesko) September 16, 2021
As we reported, Biden announced a slew of vaccine mandates last week as part of his “Path Out of the Pandemic” plan, which includes private companies with 100 or more employees to require vaccination or be subject to regular testing. In Lesko’s letter, she addressed him directly on this “unconstitutional” mandate on private businesses and infringement on individual freedoms.
“The law is clear: You do not have the power to force Americans to get vaccinated or produce a negative test result at the risk of losing their jobs. Neither does the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 gives OSHA the ability to create an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) that would remain in effect for six months. In order for an ETS to be valid, OSHA must make the following determinations:
Employees are exposed to grave danger from exposure to substances or agents determined to be toxic or physically harmful or from new hazards; and
That such emergency standard is necessary to protect employees from such danger.”
Lesko noted Biden's hypocrisy, as he once boasted about the vaccine’s efficacy in protecting people against COVID-19. Now, he poses unvaccinated individuals as a “grave danger” to vaccinated workers.
“In your remarks, you said ‘we’re going to protect vaccinated workers from unvaccinated coworkers.’ Based on your own words, the desire to protect vaccinated workers from unvaccinated workers fails to meet the grave danger test. You said it yourself, ‘as the science makes clear, if you’re fully vaccinated you’re highly protected from severe illness, even if you get COVID-19,” the letter reads. “It is undeniable that your latest action is simply another attempt to impose laws by executive fiat. I urge you to reconsider this blatant disregard for Americans’ personal liberties.”