Rochester, NY—Earlier today, in a 6-3 decision in National Federation of Independent Business v. Department of Labor, the Supreme Court of the United States blocked the enforcement of the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for workers whose employers have 100 or more employees.
Jason J. McGuire, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms (NYCF), made the following remarks: “The Biden administration’s workplace COVID-19 vaccine mandate was a classic example of an executive branch overreach. The Supreme Court’s decision makes it clear that Congress has not given the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) the authority to issue a broad, far-reaching mandate like this one. The executive branch is not a policymaking body.”
McGuire continued, “Rather than attempting to impose a top-down, arbitrary mandate on a huge swath of the American economy, the Biden administration should empower and assist state and local governments, employers, faith-based organizations, and individuals in making wise choices that enhance public health and safety during these trying times. By doing this, the federal government can effectively combat the COVID-19 pandemic while respecting state sovereignty and personal choice.”
New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, alongside 30 other family policy allies across the country, filed an amicus brief opposing the mandate on religious liberty grounds.
The court allowed a more narrow vaccine mandate on most healthcare workers to stand.
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New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms is a statewide organization that advocates on behalf of New York’s evangelical Christian community.