Monday’s White House appeal to businesses was to implement rules for coronavirus vaccinations. This comes after a federal court lifted President Biden’s vaccine-or test mandate for private companies.
“We think people should not wait,” White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Monday. “We say, do not wait to take actions that will keep your workplace safe. It is important and critical to do and waiting to get more people vaccinated will lead to more outbreaks and sickness.”
“We’re trying to get past this pandemic, and we know the way to do that is to get people vaccinated,” Jean-Pierre added.
The Biden administration maintains that it is on firm legal footing after a federal appeals court in New Orleans temporarily blocked the rule, which was developed by the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), on Saturday.
“The administration clearly has the authority to protect workers, and actions announced by the president are designed to save lives and stop the spread of COVID-19,” Jean-Pierre said Monday, noting that the Justice Department would be defending the rule in court.
A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals cited “grave statutory, and constitutional issues” in Biden’s ruling when it issued a stay Saturday. Republican presidents appointed all three members of the panel.
It is not clear how long it will take to resolve legal disputes surrounding the vaccine rule. The rule is being challenged in court by more than twenty-six state attorneys general and other organizations.
Last week, the rule was unveiled by the Biden administration. Previously known as an emergency temporary norm, it is now a permanent standard. Businesses with more than 100 employees must ensure that their employees are vaccinated against COVID-19, or submit to weekly testing.
The mandate requires employers to comply by January 4. Officials believe that the rule will affect 84 million people. An employer could be fined up to $13,600 for each violation of the rule.
Many businesses have taken steps to ensure that their employees are vaccinated. Officials hope that the mandate will encourage more people to get coronavirus vaccines so that the U.S. can reduce COVID-19 deaths and cases.
The U.S. reached the terrible milestone of 750,000 deaths from coronavirus last week.
Federal law gives OSHA the authority to issue an emergency temporary standard if it determines workers are exposed to a “grave danger” that necessitates a rule.
“I’m quite confident that when this finally gets fully adjudicated, not just a temporary order, the validity of this requirement will be upheld,” White House chief of staff Ron Klain said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” over the weekend.
“If OSHA can tell people to wear a hard hat on the job, to be careful around chemicals, it can put in place these simple measures to keep our workers safe,” he stated.
