News
Wyoming and Coalition of 20 Attorneys General Challenging Federal Contractor Vaccine Mandate
On Wednesday, Wyoming Attorney General Bridget Hill and 20 Attorneys General from across the country wrote to President Biden challenging his Administration’s evolving mandatory vaccination requirement for federal contractors. The Attorneys General noted that the mandate stands on shaky legal ground, is supported by inconsistent federal directives, and requires compliance on an unworkable timeline in the midst of a supply-chain crisis. They urged the President to halt implementation of the mandate.
“I thank General Hill for her work to defend the interests of Wyoming people in the courts,” Governor Gordon said. “Her team is also preparing to challenge the federal overreach related to Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards and federal vaccine mandates on top of this work to push back against federal contracts being insidiously used to extend federal intrusion ever more into our lives.”
On September 9, through Executive Order 14042, President Biden directed federal departments and agencies to include a clause in contracts requiring all contractors and subcontractors to ensure adequate COVID Safety protocols. On September 24, pursuant to the Biden Order, the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force issued guidance imposing a vaccination mandate that is more expansive than the President’s Executive Order, is internally inconsistent, and is at odds with actions taken elsewhere by the federal government.
“[W]e strongly urge you to instruct the Task Force and federal agencies to halt any efforts to implement the federal contractor mandate. All citizens – including federal contractors – have the right to make their own decision about whether to receive the COVID-19 vaccine,” wrote the Attorneys General.
As various agencies have begun to issue their implementing memoranda and guidance, contractors have faced a series of conflicting directives. Instead of assistance from the Administration in making sense of the inconsistencies, contractors have faced short deadlines coupled with the threat of being blacklisted or losing contracts for non-compliance. The letter was sent by the Attorneys General for Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming. A copy of the letter may be found here.
Bob Schluter
October 27, 2021 at 9:30 pm
Attorneys General of the various states are banding together to oppose DC policy (DC rules, not Congressional laws), I like it and it is a good start.
An earlier Sheridan Media story from the Associated Press repeats the true statement that federal law trumps states’ laws. That is correct. However what Mr Biden is advocating is not duly-passed federal laws. No, not one bit. What he’s advocating is federal rules put up by partisan and un-elected civil servants.
Does a non-legislated federal rule trump a state’s law? On this subject, can an OSHA rule prevail over a duly-passed State law? We wait with bated breath.
Thomas Jones
October 28, 2021 at 8:34 am
Thank you Governor for standing up against the biden admins fascist mandates. Biden and the dems are bent a creating division in the US, and that shouldnt be happening. We are not Germany of the 1930s. That is not America, this is not who we are.
Don White
October 28, 2021 at 10:06 am
Just take the damned vaccine. What a clown show.
mike duncan
October 28, 2021 at 11:26 am
The sheeple have spoken! just take the vaxx–just wear the mask—just open your bank account=–just turn in your guns–just stay away from your kids school—just leave americans behind in afghanistan—–WISE UP!
MAK KELLS
October 28, 2021 at 12:30 pm
NO
Thomas Jones
October 29, 2021 at 12:12 pm
Even your president had said that he wouldnt take an UNTESTED EXPERIMENTAL vaccine a year ago. Since its still an experimental gene therapy drug, Ill stay in the control group. Please keep us posted on your progress, don.