Reinstate Federal Vaccine Mandate Now, Justice Department Urges Court

AP: Biden Administration Asks Court To Allow Vaccine Mandate
The Biden administration on Tuesday asked a federal court to let it move ahead with a workplace rule that would require employees at larger companies to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or face weekly testing. The mandate is a centerpiece of the administration’s efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 as concerns grow that the nation is on the cusp of another winter surge in virus cases and hospitalizations. (Mulvhill, 11/23)

Reuters: Biden Administration Seeks To Reinstate Workplace COVID Vaccine Rule 
Delaying the rule by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that requires employees to be vaccinated or tested weekly would lead to thousands of hospitalizations and deaths, the administration said in a filing with the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The White House asked for the rule to be reinstated immediately, but the court set a briefing schedule that runs through Dec. 10. (Hals, 11/24)

The Washington Post: Justice Dept. Asks Court To Reinstate Biden’s Vaccination Policy For Businesses
In its ruling against the Biden administration earlier this month, the 5th Circuit repeatedly referred to the policy as a “mandate.” “Rather than a delicately handled scalpel, the Mandate is a one-size fits-all sledgehammer that makes hardly any attempt to account for differences in workplaces (and workers) that have more than a little bearing on workers’ varying degrees of susceptibility to the supposedly ‘grave danger’ the Mandate purports to address,” according to the opinion from a panel of three judges nominated by Republican presidents. (Marimow, 11/23)

In other news on federal vaccine mandates —

cleveland.com: Ohio AG Dave Yost Joins Lawsuit Challenging Biden Vaccine Mandate For Health-Care Workers
Attorney General Dave Yost has signed onto another lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s coronavirus vaccine mandate – this time, regarding vaccines for health-care workers. It’s the third lawsuit Yost, a Columbus Republican, has had the state of Ohio join in as many weeks challenging various parts of Democratic President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate, which is backed by prominent medical groups but opposed by conservatives and anti-vaccination activists. (Pelzer, 11/23)

Fox News: Lawsuit Filed On Behalf Of 20-Year Navy Employee Against Federal Vaccine Mandate: 'Biden Is Not A King'
A conservative legal group set up by former Trump adviser Stephen Miller is suing the Biden administration on behalf of a 20-year Navy employee over the federal employee COVID-19 vaccine mandate. More than 3.5 million federal employees had until Nov. 22 to provide proof to their employers that they have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine or an approved exemption under the president's September executive order. (Conklin, 11/23)

AP: US To Require Vaccines For All Border Crossers In January
President Joe Biden will require essential, nonresident travelers crossing U.S. land borders, such as truck drivers, government and emergency response officials, to be fully vaccinated beginning on Jan. 22, the administration planned to announce Tuesday. A senior administration official said the requirement, which the White House previewed in October, brings the rules for essential travelers in line with those that took effect earlier this month for leisure travelers, when the U.S. reopened its borders to fully vaccinated individuals. (Miller, 11/23)

The Hill: TSA Reports 93 Percent Compliance With Vaccine Mandate Ahead Of The Holidays
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says the federal employee vaccine mandate won't impact holiday travel, as more than 90 percent of employees have now been vaccinated against COVID-19. The agency reported that roughly 93 percent of its employees were vaccinated or qualified for an exemption by the Biden administration's Monday deadline, three days before the Thanksgiving holiday.  (Schonfeld, 11/23)