Young Joins 40 Colleagues in Officially Challenging Biden’s Vaccine Mandate
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) joined Republican colleagues today to formally move to disapprove and nullify President Biden’s vaccine mandate on private employees under the Congressional Review Act, the official process for Congress to eliminate an executive branch rule.
This week, President Biden’s White House is expected to issue a rule to officially mandate vaccination requirements for employees at private businesses with more than 100 employees. The rule will affect more than 80 million Americans and imposes $14,000 fines for people who do not comply.
“The Biden vaccine mandate is ill-timed, ill-advised, and likely illegal. In this moment when business owners are unable to fill the open jobs they have, President Biden is squeezing the labor market even more by forcing private employers to make health decisions for their employees,” said Senator Young.
Senators Young and Braun were joined by Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho), Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) along with Congressman Fred Keller (Pa.-12), Ranking Member on Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, and other members in the U.S. House of Representatives.
BACKGROUND:
On September 8, President Joe Biden announced vaccine mandates that extend to 80 million private sector workers and additional mandates on millions of federal workers and contractors. These mandates are expected to force private sector employers with more than 100 employees to become vaccinated or produce at-least-weekly negative test results before coming to work.
The Congressional Review Act (CRA) can be used by Congress to overturn certain federal agency regulations and actions through a joint resolution of disapproval. If a CRA joint resolution of disapproval is approved by both houses of Congress and signed by the President, or if Congress successfully overrides a presidential veto, the rule at issue is invalidated.