Ron DeSantis enlists Legislature in resistance against Biden vaccine mandates

DeSantis 4
The Governor says lawsuits aren't enough.

Gov. Ron DeSantis vows action on the state level to oppose recent COVID-19 vaccine mandates from President Joe Biden.

Saying Biden was “acting outside of the Constitution,” DeSantis on Friday vowed he was “going to have the Legislature involved as well” to “fight back and offer protections.”

“You can’t just sit there and hope some lawsuit is going to succeed. You have a responsibility to act. And so we will be acting in the state of Florida to provide protections for people. People should not be cast aside because they make a medical decision for themselves. They should not lose their job. They should not be unable to put food on the table just because they made a different decision than the powers that be are demanding that they make,” DeSantis said during an appearance in Northeast Florida.

DeSantis sees the vaccine mandate opposition as “important much beyond this particular issue,” leading him to pose a rhetorical question.

“If the federal government can get away with doing this,” DeSantis asked, “what’s going to come next?”

DeSantis, speaking at a 9/11 observance event, framed his resistance to Biden around the military oath he took ahead of his own commission as an officer.

“When I served in the Navy, I remember very distinctly taking an oath as a commissioned officer,” DeSantis said in Palm Valley ahead of remarks commemorating 9/11. “Your number one responsibility was to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

“That oath that I took, that many of you took when you served in the military, when you get elected to an office like Governor, you take the same oath to support the laws and the Constitution of both the state of Florida and the United States,” DeSantis said, adding that “sometimes you’re called upon to fight for it.”

“I think now is the time that we’re going to do that. When you have a President like Biden issuing unconstitutional edicts against the American people, we have a responsibility to stand up for the Constitution and fight back,” DeSantis added.

DeSantis returned to this theme later in the day, saying in Holiday that Biden’s action was simply him having a “hissy fit.”

DeSantis’ comments offer the latest in a series of back-and-forth attacks between the Governor and the White House, with Biden vowing twice in 24 hours to undermine Republican governors who stand in his way, alluding to DeSantis, but not directly mentioning him.

“School officials are trying to keep children safe in a pandemic while their Governor picks a fight with them and even threatens their jobs,” Biden said Thursday, regarding moves like Florida’s to block districts from mask mandates. “Talk about bullying in schools. If these governors won’t help us beat the pandemic, I’ll use my powers as President to get them out of the way.”

Florida has vowed to defund school districts in an amount equal to school board members’ salaries in wayward districts, but the U.S. Department of Education will backfill those funds.

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has written for FloridaPolitics.com since 2014. He is based in Northeast Florida. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


59 comments

  • PeterH

    September 10, 2021 at 3:05 pm

    Biden is responsible for protecting the health and safety of American workers! Businesses disagree with Ron DeSantis….. first the cruise industry ignored his rulings, second the Florida school departments are actively ignoring DeSantis rulings.

    By the time DeSantis and his Republican Governor cohorts seek legal remedy to their STUPID anti vaccine policies….. American businesses will have their employees vaccinated. Businesses have been looking for Biden’s cover for weeks!

    • Carly powell

      September 10, 2021 at 5:43 pm

      If Biden cared about the United States and the citizens of the United States. Why is he allowing illegal immigrants into the United States. So far over a million have entered the United States and they continue coming every day. Biden administration is not answering why he continues allowing illegals into the country and they are not vetted or given covid tests. They are allowing the illegals to fly and go on busses all over the United States. So the million who have entered the United States the ones who were tested have tested positive for covid and the Delta variant. And they are not qarrentine.
      Actions speak volumes. Biden wants to pouf his chest out and act like he cares about the spreading of covid. His actions of putting illegals into this country not vetted and not quarantine is showing he doesn’t. People have rights and when the government demands that people need to take a vaccine that was fast tracked in months when normal procedures for vaccines take up to 10 yrs or more.
      No animal testing, no data to show what these vaccines will do to people in yrs to come. Month’s on a vaccine that is mandatory for all citizens is against Nuremberg code. If the government is allowed to do this , then they can continue mandating anything they want in the future. No government should become a dictatorship to force people to receive anything against their will. This is how China works, communism. When the voice of the people no longer matter and government is in total control to force you to do anything. When people think this is Republicans and Democrats its not . This is giving the government the power and taking away people freedom to choose what they want. When our freedom is gone we are not a free country anymore.
      There are other means to treat covid such as ivermetin used once a week to prevent covid. Other countries have been giving this as a prevention for months. Not in the US. The drug companies are not libel for any health issues or death from the vaccine..if anyone tells you , you have to do something in order to have rights . This is not America anymore

      • Alex

        September 10, 2021 at 5:59 pm

        The border is about 14th on most Americans priority list.

        But it is interesting how brownish people somehow get very high priority in trumpistan huh?

        I didn’t read any further because I’ve read many diatribes from far right haters before.

      • Professor Emeritus

        September 14, 2021 at 8:20 am

        About 1.8% of infected people are dying. So how many dead bodies of Recent immigrants is Di Santis hiding. They won’t say. WHY ? Are they afraid to admit there aren’t and undercut the rants from their delusional followers? If there are no dead immigrant dead bodies there is no immigrant covid problem . that is the science

    • Heywood Jablowme

      September 10, 2021 at 11:21 pm

      Go fuck yourself, Peter. You want the jab, by all means, take it. Idiot.

    • Star

      September 11, 2021 at 9:23 am

      That’s your opinion . You don’t speak for the rest of us.

    • Myself

      September 11, 2021 at 5:23 pm

      Briben is a puppet globalist liar. He does not care about americans. He has “open borders policies” allowing millions of illegal immigrants to come to destroy America. Thousands of these immigrants carrying the virus but they are exempt of the vaccine mandate. What hypocrite traitor . This monster belongs to hell along with all his communist supporters

      • PeterH

        September 11, 2021 at 5:46 pm

        MYSELF

        100% FAKE NEWS! Not a single word in your post is accurate, factual or TRUTHFUL!

        • peter is a liar

          September 13, 2021 at 9:21 am

          dude and what your post is true? foh !
          your lies are part of the problem. gfoh u push the false narrative and think you’re doing good? Anyone and everyone that speaks out against you is not wrong. they are trying to open your eyes. now with that said im done.

        • DANIEL Lee

          September 13, 2021 at 3:29 pm

          It’s really amazing that the information people believe is so contrary. Weather it be political, professional, or just the guy on the street. We never had media creating division between folks when truth was absolute.

    • Paddi

      September 13, 2021 at 1:37 pm

      Lets hope not. Having a mask on a child or adult and breathing thsir own waste for several hours has led to many health issues. Also RNs and Doctors and other healthcars workers have been dealing with covid patients for 18 months now with no problems. The hospitals are receivi g more patients who have had the inoculation(s) tha. Unvaxed. Also, the killshot, ALL of them were only deaigned to reduce symptoms not protect. So it makes no sense at all to get an untested rushed to market killshot that has already killed thousa ds, especially when the federal govt tells people that have had and gotten over covid that they must have the kill shot. Science has proven that those who have had covid and gotten over it have a much stronger natural immunity that the kill shot will destroy. IT US DUMB AND NO SENSICAL TO GET THE KILLSHOT. Why doesnt illegitimate force big pharma to supply Ivermectin, hydroxychlocorine, and several of the other CHEAPER drugs that have proven 100% effective as a cure. If this had been done after President Trump announced it COVID would be history. BUT FOR AOME REASON THESE EVIL PEOE ARE PUSHING THIS KILLSHOT THAT BY DEFINITIO. IS NOT A VACCINE.

      • PeterH

        September 13, 2021 at 1:50 pm

        Crazy talk!

      • Professor Emeritus

        September 14, 2021 at 9:43 am

        doctors have worn masks for a hundred years. we actually know a great deal about masks. Lots of helath care workers DIED The unvaccinated are dying like flies , over a 300 a day in Florida . The rest of your rant is equally unfactual

    • John Masters

      September 13, 2021 at 2:44 pm

      • PeterH

        September 13, 2021 at 2:59 pm

        Crazy talk is everywhere! Florida is the epicenter!

        This clown has no proof of anything. Zero citations!

        🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

    • Nico Jones

      September 13, 2021 at 6:54 pm

      obviously you speak as a communist nazi if you want to take an experimental injection no one is stopping you but if you think that we Americans are going to let people like you who think that you can force that kill shot on us you are mistaken. what is the difference between Hitler’s good nazi’s pushing experimental drugs and you psychos trying and push it on us today nothing there is no difference you are both sick Nazi’s, listen if you are afraid then stay home or get the experimental injection but why do you need us to get it oh that’s right you are a freaking NAZI.

      • PeterH

        September 13, 2021 at 7:06 pm

        Crazy talk beyond comprehension! Take your medication!

      • Professor Emeritus

        September 14, 2021 at 4:51 am

        1500-2000 anti vaxxers are dying every day in in the USA About 300 of them in Florida It’s Darwin in action. It can make you sad but you can’t fix stupid

  • Alex

    September 10, 2021 at 3:19 pm

    Blah blah blah blah, just like his hero President Hair-Flap.

    Looking forward to watching this douche job hunting.

    • Nunya Bizness

      September 13, 2021 at 11:45 am

      Bless your heart, You were mommy’s special little one weren’t ya!

  • Andrew Finn

    September 10, 2021 at 3:32 pm

    Really DeSantis ?? You take every opportunity you can to prove yourself a bigger and bigger jackass every day. The President, as well as most sane people, is trying to protect the children and everyone else they can from this virus. You, on the other hand, are doing everything you possibly can to see as many people die as possible in the state of Florida. Can you please just move on to Hell where you belong (although Satan might not want the heavy competition) and be gone from Florida ??!!

    • FP Monitor

      September 10, 2021 at 10:30 pm

      It’s a big mistake is to respond to anything Tom posts. He’s an ignorant Trumpster hack simply looking for attention. Do yourself and all of us a big favor …… ignore all of his return comments. Maybe the internet troll will go away.

      • Tom

        September 11, 2021 at 6:50 am

        It’s a big mistake to listen to the Manchurian chief, know nothing FP monitor.

    • Nico Jones

      September 13, 2021 at 7:05 pm

      people like you are so ignorant, read the box it clearly states does not protect against virus but you know what masks really do that’s right it suppresses your oxygen and we all know that less oxygen leads to serious problems. No wonder this country is in deep shit its people like you who are so blind and stupid that are causing these problems and another thing if you do not like having your freedom then move to Cuba, China or Venezuela take your pick but get the fuck out of our free country you traitor. Just a thought

      • PeterH

        September 13, 2021 at 7:15 pm

        Crazy talk again! Dental offices, hospital staff and nurses have been wearing masks to protect themselves and their patients FOR DECADES. You’re supposed to throw away disposable masks and wash triple layer cloth masks. You and your ilk Nico are part of America’s problem.

        Do us all a favor ….. when you and your family contract Covid…..STAY AT HOME. Don’t burden our already overwhelmed hospital system ….. just die at home and leave a message to the media …. A message that no one will read ….BECAUSE NO ONE CARES.

  • Andrew Nappi

    September 10, 2021 at 3:36 pm

    I don’t read in the Constitution any power for any president to do this.
    I also didn’t not read in the Florida constitution or statute where the guy Vernon can close businesses and put a moratorium on evictions.
    Now, I am all for my home country of FL resisting this. BUT, Mr. DeSantis needs to know that prohibiting private business owners from requiring vax proof is wrong, and fining them is theft of business.

      • Andrew Finn

        September 10, 2021 at 4:42 pm

        You are absolutely correct Alex. I hope the President uses every single power at his command to put a stop to DeSantis’ insanity.

        • Nunya Bizness

          September 13, 2021 at 11:51 am

          Just remember Karmas a bitch!!

      • Christian Lee Herno

        September 13, 2021 at 7:45 am

        Than the shit will hit the fan and you will get the war your looking for!

    • Professor Emeritus

      September 10, 2021 at 9:32 pm

      The power is in the OSHA act which has been upheld many times. Its part of the federal powoer over interstate commerce

      • Jerry

        September 10, 2021 at 11:04 pm

        OSHA has NEVER been used like this. You want to use OSHA to force every company to force their employees to inject a substance into their bodies? And you are going to do this unilaterally by executive order?

        The courts are going to knock this down. Thousands of lawsuits are poised to be filed.

        It’s not the first time this senile president violated the Constitution. He tried to unilaterally extend the eviction ban through the CDC. Supreme Court put an end to that nonsense. They will have to do the same here. Just because you have a pandemic doesn’t give the president unlimited powers. It doesn’t work like that.

        You liberals need to understand that the United States of America is not a communist dictatorship. We have individual rights. We have individual freedoms. The states have rights who’s powers are protected by the 10th amendment. The president does not have the power to unilaterally mandate vaccines into every citizen. The courts have NEVER said that is OK. Never.

        • Professor Emeritus

          September 14, 2021 at 4:46 am

          Workers don’t have to do ANYTHING
          Employers just cant employ the unvaccinated. If you are medically entitled to reasonable accommodation that is one thing. but medical requirements are routine.

  • FP Monitor

    September 10, 2021 at 9:53 pm

    It’s a big mistake is to respond to anything Tom posts. He’s an ignorant Trumpster hack simply looking for attention. Do yourself and all of us a big favor …… ignore all of his return comments. Maybe the internet troll will go away.

    • Tom

      September 11, 2021 at 6:40 am

      It’s a big mistake to read or listen to know nothing Manchurian chief, FP monitor.

  • Jerry

    September 10, 2021 at 11:21 pm

    Many legal experts say this will be very difficult for Biden to do unilaterally. It will be an uphill batter to enforce.
    It is true that OSHA has broad powers concerning safety of work-forces. But the intent of the law deals with things like mandating that employers provide protective equipment, a safe working environment, information on chemicals and poisons, and things like making sure the roof doesn’t collapse on a factory. The idea that we are now going to have this federal agency force to make personal healthcare decisions on workforces will be a road that most judges are going to see overextends the intent of the OSHA act.

    The reality is that the President doesn’t have the constitutional powers to unilaterally force a vaccine mandate on every citizen through executive order. He simply lacks that authority. He is not a king. He is not a dictator. So what Biden is trying to do here instead is find creative ways to use existing laws to get a federal mandate in place. Courts typically don’t like when executives (presidents and governors) do this sort of thing. You are not staying true to the intent of the law and you try to broaden and extend the law’s reach without consent of the legislative branch. That violates the separation of powers and it’s unconstitutional.

    This will never be implemented….at least not through OSHA. The Supreme Court is going to strike it down if it even gets that far.

    And to be honest….no way in hell do I want to open a window for the federal government to get involved in personal medical decisions. Because trust me, they won’t stop at just vaccines. Governments NEVER restrain themselves when it comes to power.

  • WartimeVet

    September 11, 2021 at 9:49 am

    This will fall in court. Can’t exempt the postal workers then try and force everyone else. No way this holds up in court.

  • AJ

    September 11, 2021 at 12:25 pm

    We love our Govenor!!! Thank DeSantis for protecting our rights!!! For those who don’t understand what DeSantis is doing for us a more suitable place to live for you would be China. Keep up the incredible work Mr DeSantis đź‘Ź 🙌 đź‘Ť đź’Ş

    • Andrew Finn

      September 12, 2021 at 5:00 pm

      Don’t over-work the word “we” here. Remember “we” is not all inclusive. Emperor DeSantis needs to get on down the road to Hell where he belongs (although I think Satan would hate the heavy competition) and stop trying to destroy Florida and kill off all it’s people. Hitler would be proud.

    • Nunya Bizness

      September 13, 2021 at 11:50 am

      Yes, you are correct in this statement. The ones replying against freedom and rights are BOTS and they mean nothing to any of us. They are simply here to report back with their findings.
      Not one of them even reside in Florida nor do they even reside in the country!
      Think of them as the guardians for communism and quite possibly China hacks.

    • Professor Emeritus

      September 14, 2021 at 4:41 am

      300+ covid deaths a day in Florida
      32 deaths a day in New York State

      Di Santis can kill at 10 times the rate of New Yorker

  • Tom Palmer

    September 11, 2021 at 5:42 pm

    Segregation now, segregation forever!. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

  • Courtney Hargreaves

    September 12, 2021 at 4:14 pm

    Here are 7 at-home jobs that pay at least $100/day. And there’s quite the variety too! Some of these work-at-home jobs are more specialized,JHG others are jobs that anyone can do. They all pay at least $3000/month, but some pay as much as $10,000.
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  • DANIEL Lee

    September 13, 2021 at 3:31 pm

    It’s really amazing that the information people believe is so contrary. Weather it be political, professional, or just the guy on the street. We never had media creating division between folks when truth was absolute.

  • Aimee Hall

    September 13, 2021 at 6:16 pm

    Here are 7 at-home jobs that pay at least $100/day. And there’s quite the variety too! Some of these work-at-home jobs are more specialized,JHQ others are jobs that anyone can do. They all pay at least $3000/month, but some pay as much as $10,000.
    GO HOME PAGE HERE FOR MORE DETAILS… http://amazingjobs.tk/

  • Professor Emeritus

    September 14, 2021 at 4:37 am

    Florida has finally admitted that Deaths as far back as August 21 hit 347 in a day. with a 7 day average of 318 on the 25th, 21 days before the 25th on August 4. The seven day average infection in Florida was 18095 318/18095= 1.8% fatality rate on known infections. At that rate Florida would have over 300 deaths a day until 21 days after 7 day average infections fell below 16,666. Infections fell below that level on Sept 7 which means Florida can expect 300+ deaths a day Through Sept 28

  • Vernon

    September 14, 2021 at 8:41 am

    Go Ron ! 10TH AMENDMENT gives you all the power you need. No Vaccine Mandates Ever in Florida. Biden is a decrepit weak radical leftist. Plow him over with the Legislatures and you’re own Executive Orders. The Constitution is on your side. We the People of Florida and the Deep South are on your side! God bless Governor DeSantis!

  • Eve Wright

    September 14, 2021 at 4:55 pm

    Here are 7 at-home jobs that pay at least $100/day. And there’s quite the variety too! Some of these work-at-home jobs are more specialized, others are jobs that anyone can do.KJH They all pay at least $3000/month, but some pay as much as $10,000.
    GO HOME PAGE HERE FOR MORE DETAILS… http://amazingjobs.tk/

Comments are closed.


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