The U.S. Supreme Court has blocked the White House COVID vaccine mandate for private businesses. The Biden Administration sought to use the federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) to enforce shots for all companies with 100 or more workers. Six conservative justices voted for the block, while 3 liberal justices voted against. Loyola University law professor Dan Ciolino says he doesn’t see it as a purely partisan decision. “It’s doubtful the justices went this way because they dislike President Biden. I think it’s a view with suspicion on executive power in general; not necessarily executive power wielded by a Democratic president,” says Ciolino.
One person happy to hear the Supreme Court decision is businessman Brandon Trosclair, who owns supermarkets in Louisiana & Mississippi; employing about 500 people. He was among the first business owners to legally challenge the Biden/OSHA mandate. He says the High Court got this one right, “I’m just very relieved this government intrusion into our lives and our businesses is now behind us. The Supreme Court stood with us and I’m just super-relieved.”
Trosclair says he is not against the idea of getting the vaccine, but doesn’t need government to intrude between him and his staff. Trosclair says whether his workers get the shot or not is their business, not his or anyone else’s.
But the court ruled to uphold another mandate – the one demanding the shots for employees of health care providers who accept Medicare or Medicaid – by a 5-4 vote. Professor Ciolino feels the justice got this one right as well. “..because that regulation clearly does advance the health and safety of patients,” he says.
Comments