Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Tuesday introduced legislation to prevent essential workers from being fired because of President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate.
The Keeping Our COVID-19 Heroes Employed Act would provide an exemption from the federal mandate that requires companies with more than 100 employees to mandate the vaccine or weekly testing.
“Our essential workers are true heroes,” said Blackburn. “For over 18 months, essential workers showed up to serve and protect their communities. Businesses across the country are desperate for workers and we are in the midst of a supply chain crisis. There are more than 10.4 million open jobs across the country, and now President Biden wants to fire even more workers. Getting vaccinated is a choice that should be made between a patient and their doctor. No one should be forced by Joe Biden to be fired or get jabbed.”
Across the country, state and local leaders have worked to minimize the effects of the federal regulation.
The legislation has already gained endorsements from multiple elected leaders and groups throughout the United States:
“Getting vaccinated is a personal choice, it is not a decision that the federal government should be making. My number one priority is to keep the citizens of Franklin County safe — which can only happen if we have officers on the streets. This legislation will protect essential workers, including officers, from federal overreach,” said Sheriff Tim Fuller from Franklin County, Tennessee.
“Essential workers have been often-unsung heroes, working tirelessly in the areas of law enforcement, fire, EMS, nursing, teaching, and many more. Their efforts need to be recognized and appreciated, not penalized. We support Senator Blackburn’s legislation, which protects these essential workers from losing their livelihood over the new vaccination requirements. We stand with these hard-working Americans and their personal decisions regarding their own health,” said the National Sheriffs’ Association.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for the Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
