To the multiple fronts open before the White House, this week the rejection of the conservative territories to the presidential mandate that requires vaccination against the covid to the workers of large companies has been added. Just two days after the Joe Biden Administration announced that companies with more than 100 employees must require inoculation or weekly testing beginning Jan.4, a federal judge temporarily blocked the order. Until this Wednesday, 27 of the 50 states, the vast majority Republicans, have challenged the mandate considering that it violates individual freedoms protected in the Constitution.
Faced with obstacles to stopping the spread of the virus, the White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, came out to defend this week that the objective of the executive order is for workers to return to the office in a safe environment, when About 1,300 Americans still die every day from coronavirus. “Why are these Republican lawmakers getting in the way of saving lives?” She asked in the newsroom.
In progressive cities like Los Angeles and New York, thousands of people have also been seen protesting in the streets against the new health policy. Jean-Pierre called on large companies not to wait for the results of legal litigation to implement the vaccination plan in their companies.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled last Saturday in favor of temporarily blocking the presidential term because the guidelines “give reason to believe that there are serious statutory and constitutional problems with the mandate” that affects 84 million workers. . Arguments from both parties are scheduled to be heard in federal appeals court the week of Nov. 16, according to the Justice Department.
Seema Nanda from the Department of Labor has said that she “relies on her legal authority to issue the temporary standard for vaccination and emergency testing.” The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has the ability to “act quickly in an emergency where the agency believes that workers are prone to serious danger and a new standard is necessary to protect them”, she added.
In addition to the mandate to large companies, which states that companies that do not comply with it will risk being fined, Biden has also used his presidential powers to force federal employees and contractors who do business with the government to get vaccinated. The new requirement for them comes into force on November 22, so this Monday was the last day they had to complete the vaccination schedule, considering that they must be inoculated two weeks before the date of return to the office.
The mandate provides exceptions for people who do not want to receive the treatment for religious or medical reasons, such as allergies to vaccines. Tens of thousands of federal employees have requested the exception on the grounds of faith, The New York Times reports. Federal attorneys, members of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and unions are working to respond to the wave of requests to safeguard religious freedoms while ensuring a safe return to the office.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the body in charge of collecting taxes, has already notified its employees that they risk suspension or firing if they are not vaccinated as of December. If an employee’s application is denied, she must decide whether to get vaccinated or risk losing her job. If granted, he is required to wear a mask inside the office, maintain a social distance with his colleagues and get tested for covid regularly.
