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President Biden, in his first remarks since unveiling a broad plan to push two-thirds of American workers to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, said on Friday his broad terms would stand up to challenges from Republicans who said they planned to challenge them.
“Wait,” said Mr. Biden, who was speaking at a college in Washington, DC. “I’m so disappointed, especially that some of the Republican governors have been so cavalier with the health of these children, so cavalier with the health of their communities.
A day earlier, the president unveiled a series of sweeping actions through a combination of executive orders and new federal rules. His administration decided to mandate shootings for healthcare workers, federal contractors and the vast majority of federal workers, who could face disciplinary action if they refuse.
“I don’t know of any scientist in this field who doesn’t think it makes sense to do the six things I’ve suggested,” Biden added.
Republicans were quick to call the Biden administration’s plan unconstitutional, and a handful of Republican governors, including Brian Kemp of Georgia, have threatened to challenge court warrants. Ronna McDaniel, President of the Republican National Committee, said on twitter that his organization would sue the Biden administration.
Legal experts say the general provisions given to the federal government and the public health emergency caused by the coronavirus could ultimately protect against legal challenges. Jennifer Shinall, a law professor at Vanderbilt University, said in an interview that federal workers’ tenure is almost certain to be the subject of legal action, but these are likely to fail.
“As long as there are provisions for workers who are not healthy enough to be vaccinated and probably to some extent religious accommodations,” Ms. Shinall said, “I think the court challenges fail.”
Initially reluctant to enact warrants, Mr. Biden is now moving more aggressively than any other president in modern history to demand vaccination. The focus is on reopening safe schools for in-person learning: the list of new requirements would apply to those teaching in Head Start programs, Department of Defense schools, and schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Education. Collectively, these schools accommodate more than a million children and employ nearly 300,000 people, according to the plan published by administration officials.
The president visited Brookland Middle School on Friday with Jill Biden, the first lady, a college professor who resumed teaching this week. Her return to the classroom will give one of the most influential people in the White House the chance to speak firsthand about the challenges facing administrators, teachers and students.
“We can’t always know what the future holds, but we know what we owe our children,” Dr Biden said Friday. “We owe them the promise to keep their schools open as safe as possible. We owe them a commitment to follow the science.
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