Federal Appeals Court Blocks Biden’s Vaccine Mandate

First of many legal battles to come
WASHINGTON (ChurchMilitant.com) – Joe Biden’s emergency vaccine mandate for businesses with more than 100 employees has been blocked by a federal appeals court.

On Saturday, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the mandate, explaining in its brief order: “Because the petitions give cause to believe there are grave statutory and constitutional issues with the mandate, the mandate is hereby stayed pending further action by this court.” 

Organizations like the American Family Association and multiple individuals and states like Texas, Utah and Mississippi all brought cases against the mandate.

In their emergency motion, lawyers for the petitioners asked the court to impose a stay on the vaccination rules that had been announced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The attorneys argued, “There is no need to use an emergency rule to address a pandemic that has been going on for nearly two years. Congress did not grant OSHA such sweeping powers in its authorizing statute.”

On Thursday, OSHA issued its Emergency Temporary Standard requiring employers to “determine the vaccination status of each employee, obtain acceptable proof of vaccination, maintain records of each employee’s vaccination status and maintain a roster of each employee’s vaccination status.”

The mandate, set to take effect Jan. 4, would have forced the affected businesses to either have every one of their workers vaccinated or have them undergo weekly testing and submit to mask requirements.

Source:  Church Militant