Manchin Joins GOP Effort To Nix Biden's Vaccine Mandate For Large Businesses
Tyler Durden
President Joe Biden's vaccine mandate for large businesses has yet another opponent: Joe Manchin.
The moderate Democratic Senator from West Virginia announced Thursday night that he would be supporting a Senate GOP effort to resist the mandate, which is supported by all 50 Republicans in the chamber. With Manchin's vote, the resolution can pass.
"Let me be clear, I do not support any government vaccine mandate on private businesses. That’s why I have cosponsored and will strongly support a bill to overturn the federal government vaccine mandate for private businesses," he said in a statement, adding "I have long said we should incentivize, not penalize, private employers whose responsibility it is to protect their employees from COVID-19."
"I have personally had both vaccine doses and a booster shot, and I continue to urge every West Virginian to get vaccinated themselves."
That said, the resolution would still need to pass the House - and as The Hill notes, would likely be vetoed by Biden.
Republican senators introduced the resolution earlier this year under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to roll back the mandate, with which the Occupational Safety and Health Administration orders businesses with at least 100 employees to require their workers to get vaccinated or undergo regular testing by Jan. 4.
Republicans are able to use the CRA to force a vote to nix Biden's mandate at a simple majority vote. The resolution is expected to come to the floor for a vote next week and Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), who is leading the effort, told The Hill on Thursday night that he is in talks with a handful of additional Democratic senators.
"I hope that more Democratic Senators and Representatives will follow Senator Manchin’s strong lead and stand up against this federal overreach that will wreak havoc on our recovering economy and trample on the rights of millions of Americans," said Sen. Braun in a statement.
Manchin's announcement is somewhat of an about-face, after he previously voted against a GOP amendment to defund the mandate which would have been attached to a short-term government funding bill - though he says it's because he didn't want to risk a shutdown.
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/manchin-joins-gop-effort-nix-bidens-vacine-mandate-large-businesses