Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced this week he is suing the Biden administration over a vaccine mandate for federal contractors. The lawsuit says President Joe Biden does not have the authority to impose such a mandate.
The mandate from Biden says that federal contract workers will have to be fully vaccinated by December 8, 2021, in order to keep their jobs. DeSantis said his administration’s decision to sue the federal government is a kept promise to rein in “federal overreach.”
“Just months ago Joe Biden was saying that it wouldn’t be appropriate or lawful for the federal government to mandate these COVID shots,” said DeSantis in a press release. “But now we have somehow gone from 15 days to slow the spread to 3 jabs to keep your job. The federal government is exceeding their power and it is important for us to take a stand because in Florida we believe these are choices based on individual circumstances.”
DeSantis continued on Twitter by saying this lawsuit protects the Constitution, Floridians, and the economy.
“Florida is taking a stand to protect the Constitution, the economy, and the right of Floridians to earn a living and to make their own individual health decisions,” DeSantis said.
We’ve gone from 15 days to slow the spread to 3 jabs to keep your job.
Florida is taking a stand to protect the Constitution, the economy, and the right of Floridians to earn a living and to make their own individual health decisions. pic.twitter.com/wksYLVRNHz
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) October 28, 2021
The lawsuit is the latest in a feud between the Biden administration and the DeSantis administration over vaccine mandates, mask mandates, and the reach of the federal government.
Biden previously said to DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott that he would use his power to overrule their mask mandate bans and vaccine mandate bans and “to get them out of the way.”
“And to make matters worse, there are elected officials actively working to undermine the fight against COVID-19,” Biden said. “Instead of encouraging people to get vaccinated and mask up, they’re ordering mobile morgues for the unvaccinated dying from COVID in their communities. Right now, local school officials are trying to keep children safe in a pandemic while their governor picks a fight with them and even threatens their salaries or their jobs. Talk about bullying in schools.”
In response, DeSantis said that he is standing in the way of Biden’s orders.
“And Joe Biden suggests that if you don’t do lockdown policies, then you should quote, ‘get out of the way.’ But let me tell you this, if you’re coming after the rights of parents in Florida, I’m standing in your way, I’m not going to let you get away with it. If you’re trying to deny kids a proper in person education, I’m gonna stand in your way and I’m gonna stand up for the kids in Florida. If you’re trying to restrict people, impose mandates, if you’re trying to ruin their jobs and their livelihoods and their small business, if you are trying to lock people down, I am standing in your way and I’m standing for the people of Florida.”
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) October 21, 2021
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Grant Holcomb is a reporter at The Florida Capital Star and The Star News Network. Follow Grant on Twitter and direct message tips.
