A group of senators are hoping to nullify the recent mandate concerning vaccines and testing for large companies announced by the Biden Administration.
Louisiana Senators Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy have added their names to a list of 40 senators in support of a Congressional Review Act.
The new mandate would affect tens of millions of Americans who work at companies with 100 or more employees. According to the mandate employees will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by January 4 or get tested for the virus weekly.
The new government rules issued by the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) take effect Thursday. OSHA says companies that fail to comply could face penalties of nearly $14,000 per violation.
The new requirements were first previewed by President Joe Biden in September as part of a six-pronged plan to combat COVID-19 in the fall and winter months.
Senator Cassidy, in a statement, said that vaccination should not be mandated by the government.
"People should get vaccinated for COIVD-19, but the government should not mandate it," said Dr. Cassidy. "This rule should be repealed. The federal government should not control peoples' lives."
Kennedy echoed this thought, calling the move a power grab by Biden.
"President Biden's vaccine mandate would force many Americans either to violate their consciences or lose their jobs. This overreach contradicts the president's earlier promise that he wouldn't impose such a mandate. I'm happy to partner with my colleagues to oppose this power grab," he stated.
According to the senators, the Congressional Review Act (CRA) can be used by Congress to overturn certain federal agency regulations and actions through a joint resolution of disapproval. If a CRA joint resolution of disapproval is approved by both houses of Congress and signed by the President, or if Congress successfully overrides a presidential veto, the rule at issue is invalidated.
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