Missouri court adds to ban on Biden contractor vaccine rule
A federal judge in Missouri added another legal block Monday against President Joe Biden’s requirement that federal contractors receive COVID- 19 vaccinations.
The new preliminary injunction prohibits enforcement of the contractors’ vaccine mandate in 10 states that collectively sued. It comes on top of a nationwide injunction issued earlier this month by a federal judge in Georgia.
Biden’s administration has tried to spur workplace vaccinations through a series of administrative orders that also affect federal employees, health care providers participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and businesses with more than 100 employees. All face legal challenges.
The requirement for federal contractors stems from a September executive order issued by Biden requiring compliance with workplace safety guidelines developed by a federal task force. That task force subsequently issued guidelines requiring that new, renewed or extended contracts include a clause requiring employees to be fully vaccinated by Jan. 18, with limited medical or religious exceptions. That meant those receiving a two- dose vaccine must get their second shot by Jan. 4.
A judge in Kentucky initially barred enforcement of the requirement only in Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee. A Georgia judge presiding over a separate lawsuit imposed a nationwide injunction on Dec. 7. The latest injunction — issued by U. S. Magistrate Judge David Noce in another lawsuit — applies in Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa,
Missouri, Montana, Nemore than 100 employees istration has asked the Subraska, New Hampshire, require their workers to preme Court to block those
North Dakota, South Dabe vaccinated or get tested lower court orders.
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kota and Wyoming. weekly and wear masks.
Noce said the vaccine But Republican attorneys
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the president’s power to set tions and several conserpurchasing rules as spelled ADH COVID- 19 Call Cen
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rules for contractors typipreme Court. email ADH. Coronavirus@
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employees’ rights, wages that health workers be vacdiate quarantine and iso
and nondiscrimination polcinated against COVID- 19 lation sheltering needs for
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“The vaccine mandate due to preliminary injuncwould reach beyond the
tions. But Biden’s adminworkplace and into the realm of public health,”
Noce wrote. “The Court concludes that plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the issue of whether the mandate exceeds the scope of the power granted to the
President” under federal law.
Biden’s other vaccine mandates are in various stages of enforcement.
A three- judge panel of the 6th U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday reversed a previous injunction against a Biden mandate that employers with