President Biden Mandates COVID Vaccine For Millions Of Federal Workers, Businesses
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) — President Joe Biden has rolled out a sweeping new plan in the fight against COVID-19.
"It's not about freedom or personal choice, it's about protecting those around you," President Biden said September 9.
The plan has some of the most wide-reaching rules to date. All federal employees and U.S. Government contractors must be vaccinated. In the private sector, businesses with more than 100 employees must require vaccinations or weekly COVID testing. Vaccinations will also be required for workers at healthcare facilities that receive Medicare or Medicaid funding.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott took to Twitter calling the vaccine mandate an assault on private businesses. He went on to say, "Texas is already working to halt this power grab."
The CEO of the Texas Association of Business (TAB) also reacted.
"The Texas Association of Business believes that the COVID-19 vaccine is the most effective way to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 and get Texas' economy back on its feet," said TAB CEO Glenn Hamer. "However, today's announcement requiring the vaccine for private enterprises sets a frightening precedent that could be used to justify any manner of regulation on business, and TAB stands in opposition to this mandate. Furthermore, the President's decision was made without consultation from the business community which will almost certainly lead to the further politicization of COVID-19. While certain special interests have a direct line to the White House, our nation's employers have been shut out."
When it comes to schools, President Biden called out states like Texas, where governors are standing in the way of certain safety protocols. He announced the Department of Education is planning to make extra funding available to help school districts where their funding has been withheld by their state for implementing COVID safety measures. The administration is also urging regular testing for both students and staff, and calling on states to adopt vaccine requirements for school employees.