Biden mandates vaccines for 100 million Americans

Speaking from the White House on Thursday, President Joe Biden announced a federal rule that all employers with more than 100 workers require employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or test for the virus weekly. Biden is also signing an executive order to require vaccination for employees of the executive branch and federal contractors with no option to test out.

How can he do that? The Occupational Safety and Health Administration can fine large companies that fail to mandate vaccinations or weekly testing for employees. It is expected to enact a rule with a penalty of $14,000 per violation. The White House did not immediately say when the rule would take effect but said workers would have sufficient time to get vaccinated. Biden said about three-quarters of eligible Americans have had at least one shot. Among those who haven’t, some have religious objections to receiving the vaccine based on drug makers’ use of cell lines from aborted babies.

Dig deeper: Read Steve West’s report in Liberties about a lawsuit against a vaccine mandate by Maine Gov. Janet Mills.