Incoming Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Friday he will work with other Republican-led states to fight President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate.
“While we believe that the vaccine is a critical tool in the fight against COVID-19, we strongly believe that the Federal government cannot impose its will and restrict the freedoms of Americans and that Virginia is at its best when her people are allowed to make the best decisions for their families or businesses,” Youngkin said in a joint statement with Attorney General-elect Jason Miyares, according to The Associated Press (AP).
President Biden’s CMS mandate ignores the hospital systems’ long-established policies designed to keep staff & patients safe. It threatens the tenure of essential medical personnel when staffing shortages threaten the health & safety of Virginians.https://t.co/RknWC4aZQs
— Glenn Youngkin (@GlennYoungkin) January 7, 2022
Following their Jan. 15 inauguration, the duo reportedly pledged to “quickly move to protect Virginians’ freedoms” as the vaccine mandates “force hardworking Virginians to walk away from their paychecks.” (RELATED: With Omicron Dominant, COVID-19 Is Now Less Than ‘Just The Flu’)
Several other Republican-led states have pushed back against the mandates, with several threatening lawsuits while exploring all legal options. Florida sued the administration in October.
The Supreme Court heard challenges to Biden’s vaccine mandates Friday. One of Biden’s policies requires a vaccine and testing rule for private businesses with more than 100 employees. The second policy is a vaccine mandate for health care workers that work in a facility receiving Medicaid or Medicare funding, with limited exceptions for medical or religious beliefs. The high court will first hear arguments regarding the testing or vaccination mandate for private businesses.