Will this COVID-19 news from Joe Biden ruin his reputation?
President Joe Biden has announced his most vigorous vaccine push yet. On Thursday, Biden enforced strict new vaccine mandates on federal workers, large corporations, and healthcare staff in a widespread effort to control the latest wave of COVID-19.
However, this news is certain to aggravate countless Americans who have been adamant against receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. President Joe Biden has released a stern statement expressing his frustration with those who refuse to receive the vaccine.
Despite his reputation being at stake, with the current deadly surge of COVID-19 cases, it’s clear that this vaccine news is meant to save countless lives.
President Biden imposes new vaccine requirements
Joe Biden’s latest requirement may apply to up to 100 million Americans, nearly two-thirds of the U.S. workforce. The vaccine mandate is set to become the president’s most direct push yet to increasing vaccination numbers.
“We’ve been patient, but our patience is wearing thin, and your refusal has cost all of us,” President Biden sternly announced on Thursday. His rigid statement is targeted towards the mass of Americans who continue to refuse to receive a vaccine despite abundant evidence of the safety & efficiency of such COVID-19 vaccinations.
Joe Biden reported that it’s time that the 80 million unvaccinated Americans who are continuing to spread the virus participate in the country’s efforts to minimize COVID-19 cases. Yet, President Biden acknowledged that these new requirements would not provide a quick fix.
“While America is in much better shape than it was seven months ago when I took office, I need to tell you a second fact: We’re in a tough stretch and it could last for a while,” Biden declared in an evening address from the White House.
The president added, “We have the tools to combat the virus if we come together to use those tools.”
Who is included in Biden’s newest order?
President Joe Biden’s new plan demands the Labor Department to require all companies with more than 100 employees to assure that all of their workers are either vaccinated or tested once a week. These businesses could face expensive fines per employee if they don’t comply with the requirements.
The U.S. Postal Service will also be required to participate in the newest plan, according to a senior administration official. The Postal Service, with more than 640,000 employees, would have to ensure that each worker is vaccinated or tested weekly.
Along with the Postal Service, Biden has also signed an executive order to require that all government employees be vaccinated against COVID-19, with no option of being tested weekly. The accompanying order also directs that the same rules apply to employees of contractors who do business with the federal government.
President Biden also announced that 300,000 educators in federal Head Start programs must be vaccinated and ordered governors to require vaccinations for teachers & staff. Additionally, Biden declared he would expect the 17 million health care employees at facilities accepting funds from Medicare and Medicaid to be fully vaccinated, extending the order to hospitals, home care facilities, and dialysis centers across the United States.
Anti-vaccine officials respond to the news
Oklahoma governor, Kevin Stitt, has been one of the most vocal U.S. governors to oppose the COVID-19 vaccine. The state of Oklahoma has revealed plans on suing the Biden administration over the president’s latest vaccine mandate.
In a statement, Stitt called the President’s announcement a “complete disregard for individual freedoms and states’ rights” and said he intends to combat the president’s mandate.
“It is not the government’s role to dictate to private businesses what to do . . . As long as I am governor, there will be no government vaccine mandates in Oklahoma. My administration will continue to defend Oklahoma values and fight back against the Biden administration’s federal overreach.”
Meanwhile, Oklahoma Representative Kevin Hern stated, “This looks like Putin or Xi Jinping, how they operate. He’s trying to push this out there and that’s what dictators do.” Additionally, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster promised to battle Joe Biden and his vaccine order to the “gates of hell.”
President Joe Biden challenges U.S. governors
On Friday, Joe Biden directly spoke about the numerous Republican governors who threaten to sue the Biden administration. Biden contended, “Have at it.”
The president claimed that the governors are behaving “so cavalier with the health of these kids, so cavalier with the health of their communities” after touring a D.C. middle school Friday.
Joe Biden assured that vaccinations are safe, effective, and free. He also reported that it’s illogical for Republicans to turn vaccinations into a political debate. “They’ve grown up in an environment where they see it’s like a war, like a bitter feud,” he said. “It’s not how we are. It’s not who we are as a nation. It’s not how we beat every other crisis in our history. We’ve got to come together.”
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What do you think about the vaccine mandate news? Do you agree with President Joe Biden? Let us know in the comments below.
