Republicans in Congress have sprung into action following President Biden’s iron-fist decree for a national vaccine mandate on employers.
President Biden ordered the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to develop emergency regulations to enforce an onerous vaccine mandate on businesses with 100 or more employees. OSHA has yet to issue a formal rule, but that is not stopping members of Congress from acting in their capacity now and preparing to trigger a congressional review process. As many Americans brace for a looming choice between their livelihoods and liberties, Republicans in the House and Senate are working to use every tool available to challenge executive overreach.
Here is a roundup of these efforts:
- Mike Braun (R-Indiana) has introduced a disapproval resolution under the Congressional Review Act—a key mechanism for Congress to overturn a federal agency rule that oversteps what has been authorized in law. To invalidate the vaccine mandate, the House and Senate will need to pass the resolution within 60 legislative calendar days after OSHA delivers its rule. If a joint disapproval resolution is enacted, the mandate is null and void and cannot be reissued in the future.
- During floor consideration of a continuing resolution (CR) to avert a government shutdown this week, Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) offered an amendment to prohibit the use of federal funds for implementing or enforcing Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The amendment failed on a 50-50 party line vote—short of the 60 needed for adoption. This put every U.S. Senator on record on the question so citizens can know where their Senators stand.
- On the House side, Reps. Claudia Tenney (R-New York) and Jim Banks (R-Indiana) introduced the Health Freedom for All Act to clarify that under existing law, OSHA lacks the authority to enact a rule requiring Americans to undergo vaccinations or testing. This bill would prohibit the Secretary of Labor from implementing an emergency rule and require OSHA to follow the full federal rule making process, which includes a public comment period for review and feedback.
Public health must always be balanced with individual freedom. You may view CWALAC’s full statement on the Biden vaccine mandate here. CWALAC will continue to monitor Congressional efforts to block executive overreach and protect the conscience rights of Americans.