United States President Joe Biden's vaccine mandate for the private sector is facing massive opposition in the State after the issuance of a rebuke on Wednesday night, marking a largely symbolic vote to remove a key component of the Democratic leader's coronavirus response.
Two Democrats, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and John Tester of Montana, joined Republicans present in the 52-48 vote. Before the vote, critics attacked the mandate, arguing it was a prime example of federal overreach and dismissed Biden administration's option of weekly testing for workers who did not want to get vaccinated as not being a sufficient accommodation.
Biden's Vaccine Mandate
Senatorial lawmakers employed a process called the Congressional Review Act, which offers a fast track for getting rid of administrative rules. A companion petition in the House is still missing 218 signatures that it needs to force a floor vote. Additionally, the White House has already committed to vetoing any disapproval measure that clears Congress.
However, the vote on Wednesday night highlighted the current obstacles that the Biden administration faces in attempting to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and shows the massive divide between lawmakers on Capitol Hill and around the country on how to handle the health crisis, Politico reported.
However, even with Senate approval, the resolution, which has GOP support, is unlikely to be able to overturn the vaccine mandate. The House, which is controlled by Democrats, is not expected to take up the measure; and President Biden would most likely veto the bill even if it cleared Congress.
Sen. Mike Braun sponsored the resolution and said that the vaccine mandate implemented by the Biden administration was an example of the "heavy hand of the government" targeting businesses across the nation. "It's got Main Street America scared. They're worried about, well, what does this mean on other issues?? Anybody who thinks this is a good idea, imagine the next time it happens when you're on the wrong side on whatever the merits of the case would be," said the official, Fox Business reported.
Massive Opposition
Additionally, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell expressed his thoughts on Biden's vaccine mandate on private businesses. The official slammed the requirement as being "illegal" as Republicans prepared to force a vote on the resolution to overturn the directive.
During his remarks, McConnell praised the power of the coronavirus vaccines in being the most effective "modern medical miracles" and revealed that he had recently received a booster shot. He encouraged Kentuckians and all American citizens to take full advantage of the vaccines.
McConnell added that he had recorded public service announcements and said that he himself was a survivor of childhood polio. He said he watched vaccines eradicate the polio virus in the country throughout his entire life. The senate minority leader said there was no bigger proponent of vaccination than him.
However, McConnell noted that the United States of America is a free country, arguing that the federal government and elites in Washington did not have the authority to micromanage citizens' personal choices without a legal basis that falls under the law and the Constitution, the New York Post reported.
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