No testing opt out is expected…..
53.35% of Americans have full vaccinations….
The current virus ‘hot spots’ are in places with no mask or vaccine pushes primarily Southern Republican led states.
The push could cover as many as 4 million government employee’s….
The executive order will not apply to those working for Congress or the Federal Courts….
Reported cases and hospitalizations continue to drop across the US and the World…..
President Biden on Thursday will sign executive orders requiring the vast majority of federal workers and contractors who do business with the government to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, as part of an aggressive new plan to that will also put pressure on private businesses, states and schools to enact stricter vaccination and testing policies as the Delta variant continues its spread across the United States.
The mandate will apply to employees of the executive branch, including the White House and all federal agencies and members of the armed services — a workforce that numbers more than 4 million — but not to those who work for Congress or the federal court system, according to a person familiar with the plan.
The spread of the highly infectious variant had pushed the country’s daily average caseload over 150,000 for the first time since late January, overwhelming hospitals in hard-hit areas and killing roughly 1,500 people a day. The surge has alarmed Mr. Biden and his top health advisers, who see mass vaccination as the only way to bring the pandemic under control.
Mr. Biden, who was briefed by his team of coronavirus advisers on Wednesday afternoon, is set to deliver a speech at 5 p.m. Eastern that will address about six areas where his administration can encourage — or, at this point, push — more eligible Americans to receive vaccines.
Mr. Biden had already pushed federal workers to get vaccinated by announcing that those who refused would have to undergo regular coronavirus testing. But the surge, coupled with the recent decision by the Food and Drug Administration to grant full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to those 16 and older, has made him decide to take more aggressive steps, eliminating the option of testing, the officials said.
Two officials familiar with the plan said that its underlying message would be that the only way to return to some sense of normalcy was to get as many people vaccinated as possible….
Good move by Biden.
It’s past time to go after these unvaccinated virus spreaders who are responsible for extending this pandemic.
Hopefully the health insurance companies will start imposing a surcharge on the unvaccinated .Lets see how far their “principles” really go!
Lotta people probably going to switch insurance companies. Slaving away at the altar of obstinance, er, “principles,” is a lonely, miserable existence people often choose for themselves.
Biden effort is MUCH larger than a lot of people thought….
I think they say 75 days before kicking in….
Some states are already doing mandates for shots or testing
Gonna be some pushback….
Especially in the places where the numbers are the worst….
The 53% number is NOT were Biden thought the country would be by now even with the case numbers dropping….
As expected….
The Republican National Committee (RNC) has vowed to sue the Biden administration over its COVID-19 vaccine and testing mandate.
“Joe Biden told Americans when he was elected that he would not impose vaccine mandates. He lied. Now small businesses, workers, and families across the country will pay the price. Like many Americans, I am pro-vaccine and anti-mandate,” RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement Thursday.
“Many small businesses and workers do not have the money or legal resources to fight Biden’s unconstitutional actions and authoritarian decrees,” she continued, “but when his decree goes into effect, the RNC will sue the administration to protect Americans and their liberties.”
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Several Republican governors on Thursday vowed to take President Biden to court over newly announced measures requiring workers to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Biden unveiled a six-step plan after weeks of surging COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations and delivered a speech from the White House in which he expressed exasperation with the roughly 25 percent of eligible Americans who have refused to get the coronavirus vaccine….
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President Biden said Thursday he will take on Republican governors who are trying to prevent COVID-19 protocols in schools, vowing to “get them out of the way.”
“Right now, local school officials are trying to keep children safe in a pandemic while their governor picks a fight with them and even threatens their salaries or their jobs. Talk about bullying in schools,” Biden said in remarks at the White House.
“If they’ll not help, if these governors won’t help us beat the pandemic, I’ll use my power as president to get them out of the way,” he added….
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In a lot of places the testing is gonna be offered to employee’s by the schools or government agency at no cost in a place close to the workplace….
Were I a non-Cult contributor to the RNC, I’d demand my money back (or else that my contribution be given to a legitimate medical charity, perhaps one that will cover Covid hospital costs for poor children).
If you were a contributor to the RNC, you probably would care that much about hospital costs for poor children.