All 212 members of the House Republican Conference have co-sponsored Rep. Fred Keller’s resolution to nullify President Joe Biden’s vaccination and testing mandate for businesses with 100 or more employees, the Pennsylvania Republican announced Tuesday.
“Every Republican member of the House is united in our effort to eliminate President Biden’s unconstitutional vaccine mandate for America’s businesses,” Keller said “Private employers and workers have worked too hard to recover from this pandemic to have their livelihoods ripped away over what should be a private medical decision.
“I urge my House Democratic colleagues to stand with us and the 80 million Americans who would be affected by this totalitarian measure.”
The move by the House Republicans follows a similar measure by all 50 GOP senators last month, where Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., led the challenge against Biden’s executive rule, according to The Hill.
Biden’s mandate orders businesses with at least 100 employees to require their workers to get vaccinated or undergo regular testing by Jan. 4.
Biden said when announcing the deadline last month, “while I would have much preferred that requirements not become necessary, too many people remain unvaccinated for us to get out of this pandemic for good,” The New York Times reported.
Keller’s announcement said that his resolution also has the support of more than 20 stakeholders, as well as moderate Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.
Among the stakeholders supporting the resolution was FreedomWorks, whose President Adam Brandon said that “Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate represents one of the most brazen illegal actions ever taken by the executive branch” and the effort to nullify it is “a crucial statement for conservatives in defense of medical freedom and individual liberty,” according to Keller’s announcement.
Michele Stanley, National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association vice president of Government and Regulatory Affairs, said that “we fear the vaccine mandate will stress an already strained workforce, making it difficult for operators to produce the essential building materials that our country desperately needs.”
Another stakeholder, Jason Fink, president & CEO of the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce, added that “the federal government should not be dumping this burden onto business and industry.”
