After President Joe Biden announced a federal vaccine mandate that is expected to affect more than 100 million Americans, Republican officials vowed to fight back.
The Biden administration mandated vaccination Sept. 9 for all federal employees and contractors, as well as all employees at businesses with 100 or more workers. If a business fails to comply, it could face fines of over $13,000 per violation.
Here are the states who have promised to take action against the administration.
Alaska
Republican Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy said that his “administration is aggressively identifying every tool at our disposal” to fight back against Biden’s mandate, The Associated Press reported. He referred to the vaccine requirement as “ill conceived, divisive, and un-American” and said that “forced medical procedures run counter to our collective sense of fairness and liberty.”
Arizona
Arizona became the first state to sue the administration over vaccine mandates. The complaint, which was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court of Arizona, stated that the vaccine mandate is unconstitutional because the same requirements do not apply to migrants crossing the southern border.
“The federal government cannot force people to get the COVID-19 vaccine,” Republican Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich said in a statement. “The Biden Administration is once again flouting our laws and precedents to push their radical agenda.”
Mississippi
Mississippi vowed to join other states in a lawsuit against the Biden administration. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves called the mandate “clearly unconstitutional” and said that he expects the Supreme Court to rule that the vaccine requirement is against the law, The Associated Press reported. (RELATED: ‘He Lied’: RNC Will Sue Biden Over Vaccine Mandate)
Montana
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen “will be exploring all possible legal avenues” to fight against the vaccine mandate, spokesperson Emilee Cantrell told the Daily Caller News Foundation. Cantrell referred to the administration’s rule as a “lawless mandate which infringes on our rights.”
Knudsen promised to sue the administration once the full guidelines of the vaccine mandate are released, according to The Associated Press.
Indiana
“Biden’s decision to demand American workers get vaccinated or risk losing their jobs is what one would expect of dictators in a banana republic,” Indiana Attorney General Todd Rikota said. “In IN we do not rule by fiat, and I will not allow the president to destroy our guaranteed freedoms and our economy at the same time.”
Biden’s decision to demand American workers get vaccinated or risk losing their jobs is what one would expect of dictators in a banana republic. In IN we do not rule by fiat, and I will not allow the president to destroy our guaranteed freedoms and our economy at the same time.
— Todd Rokita (@AGToddRokita) September 9, 2021
Arkansas
Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge promised to “fight to protect the rights of Arkansans.”
“No one should be forced to get the vaccine,” she said in a tweet posted Sept. 9. “President Biden continues to make atrocious decisions for America and his new vaccine mandate.”
No one should be forced to get the vaccine. President Biden continues to make atrocious decisions for America and his new vaccine mandate. I will always fight to protect the rights of Arkansans.
— Leslie Rutledge (@AGRutledge) September 9, 2021
Georgia
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr said that he would “not stand for” the administration’s “lack of respect for the rule of law.”
“The Biden-Harris Administration continues to flaunt its lack of respect for the rule of law,” Carr said on Twitter. “We will not stand for it and will protect the citizens and businesses of Georgia from this latest example of federal overreach.”
The Biden-Harris Administration continues to flaunt its lack of respect for the rule of law. We will not stand for it and will protect the citizens and businesses of Georgia from this latest example of federal overreach.#gapol https://t.co/13LDZyV50P
— GA AG Chris Carr (@Georgia_AG) September 9, 2021
South Carolina
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, chairman of the Republican Attorneys General, threatened legal action against the Biden administration in a letter that was signed by 24 state attorney generals.
“Republican attorneys general throughout our country are joining together in this fight for the rights of States, small businesses and individual liberty,” Wilson said. “Instead of bringing people who disagree together, he has chosen to pit Americans against each other by diktat. We will not tolerate Biden’s tyrannical rule. The lines are clear, this is Joe Biden’s unlawful agenda versus the American people.”
All of the states listed above have signed the Republican Attorneys General letter. The state attorney generals from Alabama, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming and West Virginia also signed.