Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr and 23 other attorneys general said this week that federal agencies shouldn’t force private sector employees to choose between either a COVID-19 shot or a weekly COVID-19 test.
Carr and the other attorneys general voiced their concerns in a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden. Biden wants officials with the U.S. Department of Labor and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to force private sector employees to guard themselves against COVID-19 — or else they will lose their jobs.
In an emailed press release, Carr and the other attorneys general explained why they think Biden’s plan does more harm than good.
“In yet another example of blatant disregard for the rule of law, the Biden-Harris Administration’s command-and-control strategy is condescending and counterproductive, harmful to our state’s economy, and — most importantly — unconstitutional,” Carr said.
“We will fight back against the administration’s abuse of power and will protect the citizens and businesses in our state.”
In the letter, the attorneys general told Biden that his plan is unlikely to hold up in court and will simply drive further skepticism regarding vaccinations. The attorneys general also told the president that Americans will leave the job market to avoid complying with the federal regulations. And that, the attorney generals said, will further strain an already-too-tight labor market, burden companies, and threaten jobs.
“Worse still, many of those who decide to leave their jobs rather than follow your directive will be essential healthcare workers. This is no idle speculation,” according to the letter.
“A New York hospital recently announced its plans to stop delivering babies after several staff members resigned in the face of New York’s mandate. And recent polling suggests those frontline healthcare workers are not outliers. Thus, Mr. President, your vaccination mandate represents not only a threat to individual liberty, but a public health disaster that will displace vulnerable workers and exacerbate a nationwide hospital staffing crisis, with severe consequences for all Americans.”
Attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming also signed the letter.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
