Former vice president Joe Biden announced a rather unconstitutional vaccine mandate yesterday. He’s requiring all companies with over 100 employees require the jab or weekly testing. Except for a select few. Want to know who?
“We’ve been patient, but our patience is wearing thin, and your refusal has cost all of us,” Biden said in a speech. “This is not about freedom or personal choice. It’s about protecting yourself and those around you.”
Nothing like having the installed president of the United States threaten you.
Biden issued two executive orders requiring unconstitutional vaccine mandates for federal workers and contractors who work for the federal government. He’s also using OSHA to issue an emergency order that will require businesses with 100 or more employees to mandate vaccinations or a weekly Covid test.
Unless you’re a member of Congress, one of their aides, or the federal court system then you’re exempt.
However, Biden’s order on federal workers applies to employees of the executive branch. The House of Representatives and the Senate belong to the separate legislative branch and the courts to the judicial branch of the federal government.
Biden’s COVID action plan – “Path Out of the Pandemic” – published on the White House website makes the effect of the vaccine mandate clear.
Of course, those in the Government have previously said they can’t and won’t require an unconstitutional vaccine mandate.
Another group that had the option to test out is the USPS. At least until a White House official corrected themselves.
“USPS is not included in the executive order requiring vaccination of Federal employees. USPS has a separate statutory scheme and is traditionally independent of federal personnel actions like this,” a Biden administration official said.
“That said, USPS is strongly encouraged to comply. Also, [the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration] will cover USPS through the [emergency temporary standards], meaning that postal workers will be subject to the vaccination or testing policy announced today.”
The Washington Post story, which is now deleted, mentioned that many of the Postal Service’s workforce of nearly 650,000 people were members of the American Postal Workers Union, a group that in July came out against vaccine mandates, asserting “It is not the role of the federal government to mandate vaccinations for the employees we represent.”
Another governmental group that is not required to get the jab is the Oregon police.
Oregon law restricts local municipalities from issuing mandates for firefighters or police officers unless there is a federal or state law in place that requires it. The city believed that Gov. Kate Brown’s Aug. 19 requirement to mandate vaccinations for the state’s health care workers covered police officers, who receive some medical training.
Deputy City Attorney Heidi Brown told OPB that new guidance about the governor’s mandate, issued Friday, said police officers were likely exempted from the state’s mandate as providing medical care was “likely not a fundamental part of their job.”
“There is no regulation requiring vaccination for police officers, and without this, the City cannot require police be vaccinated,” Brown wrote in an email.
The new stance on a vaccine mandate for police officers follows stiff opposition from police unions: The union’s lead attorney had argued that officers were “so deeply” opposed to the mandate that they would instead leave the force.
A group that is representing 30,000 federal law enforcement officers and agents opposes vaccine mandates.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler says he’s disappointed that the city will not be able to require officers in the Portland Police Bureau to get vaccinated.
“I still am strongly encouraging police officers to get vaccinated. Our City leaders have decided we want to lead by example, and science has proven that vaccines are the most effective tool to end this pandemic. It is critical that we do everything we can to minimize risk to our community members and co-workers,” Mayor Wheeler said in a statement.
Yet the Los Angeles Unified School will mandate the vaccine for children.
