WICKER, HYDE-SMITH EFFORT TO STOP BIDEN VACCINE MANDATE ON BUSINESSES PASSES SENATE

Statement

U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today cheered Senate passage of a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution they cosponsored to overturn President Biden's mandate to force private businesses to require COVID-19 vaccines for their employees.

The Senate on Wednesday night voted 52-48 to approve a CRA, the official process for Congress to eliminate an Executive Branch rule, to stop the Biden private-sector vaccine mandate. S.J.Res.29 now requires House approval.

"President Biden's unconstitutional vaccine mandates are rightfully being challenged in the courts. Today's vote confirms that a majority of the Senate disapproves strongly of the President's actions. We will continue working to overturn this blatant executive overreach that threatens to wreck our economy," Wicker said.

"We understand the seriousness of the pandemic, its toll on personal lives and our economy, and the effectiveness of vaccines. This awareness, however, does not give President Biden license to impose imperial vaccine edicts that impede personal freedoms and impose a vast government overreach over a struggling private business sector," Hyde-Smith said. "I continue to believe COVID vaccines save lives. I also trust the American people to make the best medical decisions for themselves and their families."

Wicker and Hyde-Smith cosponsored S.J.Res.29 in November, not long after announcing an earlier intent to challenge the mandate.

The Biden administration rule mandated vaccines for all employees who work at private businesses with 100 or more workers. The subsequent Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) final rule outlined a $13,653 fine for each offense, with willful violations resulting in a $136,532 penalty.

S.J.Res.29 was filed on the basis that this federal mandate is a highly inappropriate invasion of what should be a personal medical decision for every American, and that it could worsen labor shortages and supply chain disruptions.

U.S. Senator Mike Braun (R-Ind.) introduced S.J.Res.29, which is supported by: National Federation of Independent Business, National Retail Federation, National Restaurant Association, American Trucking Association, Associated Builders and Contractors, Associated General Contractors of America, American Pipeline Contractors Association, National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association, National Association of Home Builders, National Grain and Feed Association, and others.

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