Despite a number of federal courts across the country halting President Joe Biden's vaccine mandates for federal workers and the private sector, he's urging employers to move forward with vaccine requirements anyway.
"The President will call on businesses to move forward expeditiously with requiring their workers to get vaccinated or tested weekly. This is especially important given the Omicron variant," the White House released Thursday morning. "The President will urge businesses to take steps now to protect workers, customers, and the economy."
Taking steps to "protect workers" is code for forcing employees to choose between getting vaccinated or losing their jobs.
Earlier this week, Judge Matthew Schelp of the Eastern District of Missouri explained in detail why Biden's mandate for Medicare and Medicaid workers or federal contractors has been halted. Schelp's ruling specifically pointed out that the risk of a healthcare worker shortage as a result of the mandate far outweighs unvaccinated healthcare workers, most of whom have natural immunity, continuing to see patients.
"According to CMS, the effectiveness of the vaccine to prevent disease transmission by those vaccinated is not currently known, what is known based on the evidence before the Court is that the mandate will have a crippling effect on a significant number of healthcare facilities in Plaintiffs’ states, especially in rural areas, services (resulting in no medical care at all in some instances), and jeopardize the lives of numerous vulnerable citizens. The prevalent, tangible, and irremediable impact of the mandate tips the balance of equities in favor of a preliminary injunction," Schelp wrote.
Further, a judge in Louisiana blocked Biden's mandate for healthcare workers in all 50 states.
A Louisiana U.S. district judge blocked a federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers Tuesday, issuing a nationwide injunction in another setback to President Joe Biden's effort to require wide segments of the population to be vaccinated.
Louisiana Western District U.S. Judge Terry Doughty's decision follows an identical ruling Monday from Missouri U.S. District Judge Matthew Schelp, but Schelp's decision only covered 10 states.
Doughty ruled on the lawsuit led by Republican Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and joined by 13 other states, but Doughty added a nationwide injunction in his ruling.
In his decision, Doughty wrote the Biden Administration doesn't have the authority to bypass Congress in issuing such a mandate.