Jason Delgado
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday vowed to challenge the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate, calling the order unconstitutional and an “abuse of emergency power.”
“Florida will contest that immediately,” DeSantis said, later adding, “I think this rule is absolutely going down.”
The legal call-to-arms came hours after White House officials unveiled a finalized version of the U.S. employer mandate. Under the rule, employers with more than 100 workers must ensure employees are fully vaccinated or provide weekly COVID-19 testing. The mandate, officials say, will impact roughly 84 million workers, or two-thirds of private sector jobs. The rule will take effect Jan. 4.
“People should not be in a situation where they’re faced with the jab or their jobs,” DeSantis objected at a Jacksonville event. “We want to protect people’s jobs. It’s not right to treat people that way.”
The 490-page rollout comes weeks after Biden lashed out at unvaccinated Americans. They, Biden charged in September, are causing “a lot of damage.”
“We’ve been patient, but our patience is wearing thin, and your refusal has cost all of us,” Biden told unvaccinated Americans.
The order, implemented by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), threatens steep fines. Businesses may face fines upward of $14,000 per violation, OSHA officials said.
A separate order, meanwhile, carries more stringent requirements.
Health care workers at facilities and hospitals that accept Medicare and Medicaid will be required to get vaccinated under a ruling issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Additionally, employees of the executive branch and contractors in business with the federal government will also be required to get vaccinated — with no option to test out.
DeSantis is among a handful of Republican state leaders rebuking the mandate. Among other arguments, he asserted OSHA lacks the authority to impose such a sweeping mandate, even under emergency rules.
The mandate, he further contends, is part of a broader overreach by the federal government
“That’s not the way our constitutional system is set up,” DeSantis said. “Florida will be responding.”
State lawmakers will convene this month to discuss the vaccine requirements.
DeSantis — who ordered a Special Session in October, to be held this month — is asking lawmakers to consider legislation to protect employees and job applicants from discrimination over their vaccination status.
He also wants the Republican-led Legislature to avail unemployment benefits to people who lose work because of their vaccination status.
House Speaker Chris Sprowls is among those leading the legislative charge.
“From OSHA mandates to CRT, Joe Biden wants to use the government to re-engineer America,” Sprowls tweeted. “In FL, we’ve built a state that respects work, cops, parents & personal responsibility. I look forward to standing with my friends Gov. Ron DeSantis & (Senate) President Wilton Simpson to keep FL free.”
The Special Session begins Nov. 15.
8 comments
Alex
November 4, 2021 at 1:33 pm
No it isn’t, in fact Biden hasn’t used half of his powers under the Public Health Services Act.
DeAnus throwing red meat to the idiot base.
Alex
November 4, 2021 at 2:47 pm
go jump off the cliff
Alex
November 4, 2021 at 2:51 pm
Troll ^
FJB
November 6, 2021 at 10:54 am
Are you talking to yourself?
Dan
November 4, 2021 at 3:24 pm
They aren’t even vaccines. They don’t give you immunity and don’t stop you from spreading it. In fact the CDC had to change their definition of a “vaccine” because these didn’t fit the definition!
I won’t be getting the shot under any circumstances. No one is injecting that engineered genetic garbage into me. God only knows what this crap does to you over time. They never tested it long term.
But this is about control. It’s about compliance. That’s been that way since day one of the pandemic. Mandates and restrictions galore. It needs to stop right now! I fully support DeSantis and the legislature. Someone had to stand up to the tyranny that’s facing this country. Someone has to stand up for the few freedoms we have left. Someone has to stop this never ending overreach of the federal government.
Alex
November 4, 2021 at 4:10 pm
Oh I do love refuglican evidence free nonsense.
Now tell me Trump won, and you just can’t prove it yet.
Or Hillary sold uranium, or that thing about jewish space lasers.
Bob
November 5, 2021 at 4:00 pm
Know who you do business with. The following companies support, fund, Joe Biden, the Democrat party, BLM and other far left organizations. Financial BOYCOTT whenever possible the following socialist enablers. Patriots, pass this along….
AFLAC
Amazon
American Airlines
American Express
Amway
Apple
AT&T
Bank of America
Baskin Robbins
Best Buy
Carl’s Jr.
Capital One
Chase
Cigna
Cisco
Coca-Cola
Corona Beer
Dell Technologies
Deloitte
Delta Airlines
Discover Financial Services
Discovery channel
Discovery Plus
Dunkin Donuts
ESPN
Estee Lauder
Facebook
Fed-Ex
Ford Motor Co.
General Motors
Google
Goldman Sachs
IBM
Jack in the Box
Johnson & Johnson
JetBlue
Kohls
Levi Strauss & Co
Little Caesars
Lowes Hardware
MasterCard
Merck
Microsoft
Modello Beer
NBA
Nerd Wallet
Netflix
NFL
Nordstrom
Nurtec
MLB
Pacifico Beer
Oxygen
OWN
PayPal
PBS
Peloton
Pinterest
Reddit
Rocket Mortgage
Sonic Rest.
Starbucks
State Farm Insurance
Synchrony
Target Stores
The General Insurance
TBS
TNT
Tripadvisor
Twitter
United Airlines
US Bank
USA today
Vanguard
Varo Bank
Verizon
ViacomCBS
Vivint
Walgreens
Wayfair
Wells Fargo
Wendy’s
WNBA
Dano
November 9, 2021 at 10:36 am
Where’s troll Alex on this one? Her comedy is just slapstick and hilarious
Comments are closed.