Shot Down: Senate Votes To Repeal Biden's Federal Vaccine Mandate
The Senate voted on Wednesday to repeal President Biden's federal vaccine mandate. Courtesy of two Democratic Senators, the vote tallied 52-48, successfully rejecting Biden's plan to impose strict COVID-19 ordinances. Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) joined the Republicans for the bi-partisan vote.
The opposition, dubbed the Congressional Review Act, drew a majority favor to repeal Biden's proposed mandate — which was originally set to begin this week (Dec. 5).
President Biden's blueprint for a federal program made vaccine check-ups mandatory for businesses with 100 employees or more — threatening termination and sufficient work for unvaccinated Americans.
The federal mandate's greatest faults stemmed from its threat to employment amid booming inflation, sticker shock and a labor shortage crippling the U.S. economy. All associated with the Biden presidency — who's less than a year in office.
"You wonder if he realizes there are 10 million open jobs in America right now," responded Republican Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming ahead of the Wednesday vote.
He added, "I am pro-vaccine, but I'm anti-mandate. That's because I believe the mandate is a massive overreach by the government and a massive mistake. And at this point, clearly, the courts are agreeing with what we're trying to do."
Despite the repeal's unlikelihood to pass through both the House and Oval Office, the GOP hoped that the result may serve as a message to spectating Democrats, with shaky confidence in Biden, to not back nationwide COVID-related restrictions.
Prominent leaders of the Democratic Party have favored mandating vaccines to go to work or enter a business since the end of 2020.
With California and New York leading the charge by implementing the nation's first vaccine passport programs — a concept once denied by all Dems — Blue states are creating a system that is becoming uninhabitable for unvaccinated Americans and those that expected a return to pre-COVID normalcy under Biden.
Republicans and Democrats that see the vaccine mandate's hazards continue to fight for a return to a pre-COVID society heading in 2022.
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