19 US states file case against Biden govt over mandatory COVID vaccine rule

Three separate legal cases have been filed by eighteen states in the United States on Friday, 29 October to stop President Joe Biden's COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for federal contractors. Furthermore, Texas filed the case individually to prevent the Biden administration vaccination rule for federal contractors, according to AP. Florida had filed the case on Thursday, which brought the total number of states opposing the Biden mandatory COVID-19 vaccine rule to 19. 

The Attorney-generals from states including Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Montana Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming signed on to one lawsuit and in a federal district court in Missouri, according to AP. Attorneys from another group of states including Kansas, South Carolina, Utah, Georgia, Alabama, Idaho, Utah and West Virginia filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Georgia. In this case, the states have asked the judge to stop Biden's rule of mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 by 8 December of all federal workers. In this case, the states have argued that Biden's requirement of mandatory vaccination among the contractors violates federal procurement law. 

States oppose mandatory COVID vaccination rule

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, a Republican, in a statement has stated that if the government tries to impose their will on the contractors to mandate vaccinations, it will affect business and ultimately result in supply chains getting impacted. "If the federal government attempts to unconstitutionally exert its will and force federal contractors to mandate vaccinations, the workforce and businesses could be decimated, further exacerbating the supply chain and workforce crises," AP reported Missouri Eric Schmitt as saying in a statement. He further stated that they filed a lawsuit in order to stop the mandatory vaccination rule of the US government. Taking to Twitter, Eric Schmitt called the Biden vaccine mandatory as "unconstitutional".

New Hampshire’s Republican Attorney General John Formella in a statement stressed that vaccines are safe and effective, however, the benefits "do not justify violating the law," as per AP. The states opposing mandatory vaccination have argued that this rule would result in several federal contract workers quitting their work. Furthermore, they have highlighted that it would ultimately result in a reduced labour force. 

Inputs from AP

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