Florida GOP Lawmakers Threaten To Pull State Out Of OSHA Over Biden Vaccine Mandate

November 9, 2021
Top Republican lawmakers are calling on Florida to pull out of OSHA following President Biden's 'workaround' with the agency in implementing a vaccine mandate for employers.

Top Republican lawmakers are calling on Florida to ‘pull out’ of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration – or OSHA – following President Biden’s ‘workaround’ with the agency in implementing a vaccine mandate for employers.

Last week, the White House announced that OSHA would levy fines of up to $14,000 per violation of the mandate for companies with more than 100 employees – a rule that will begin January 4th.

State Representative Alex Andrade (R-Pensacola) argues that the vaccine mandate marks “the first time that OSHA is being used and manipulated to go after people’s private health decisions.”

“If OSHA’s going to be abused by the federal government for purely political reasons, it’s time for us to get out, and it’s time for us to start creating our own plan,” added Andrade.

RELATED: Biden Admin Tells Businesses To Ignore Federal Court Ruling That Halted Vaccine Mandate

Florida To Pull Out Of OSHA?

A joint statement by Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls and Senate President Wilton Simpson warns that lawmakers will “discuss our own ideas for legislative action” in combating the vaccine mandate.

One of those actions being discussed will include “whether now is the time for Florida to withdraw from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and establish our own state program.”

The statement would add that the OSHA rule “is a reckless one-size-fits-all approach to Covid-19 vaccine mandates.”

Florida filed a lawsuit against the Biden vaccine mandate in regards to contractors.

“It’s important for us to take a stand,” Governor Ron DeSantis said. “Tossing people aside is just not something we can tolerate here in the state of Florida, so we are going to do everything we can.”

RELATED: ‘Radical Intrusion’: DeSantis Sues Biden Over Federal Vaccine Mandate

OSHA Vaccine Mandate Amounts To Constitutional Overreach

Andrade argued that the OSHA vaccine mandate “is a constitutional overreach and abuse of the delegated authority that OSHA has in this context.”

He made those comments before President Biden officially announced the start date for the OSHA vaccine mandate.

Days later, a federal appeals court echoed Andrade’s argument, temporarily blocking the administration’s coronavirus vaccine mandate and suggesting it raises “grave statutory and constitutional issues.”

Demonstrating they have no desire to abide by the Constitution, the White House advised businesses to ignore the court’s pause on the vaccine mandate, saying employers should continue to abide by their demands despite the legal ruling.

The administration seems to acknowledge their OSHA mandate is on shaky legal ground.

Back in September White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain retweeted a post indicating the possibility of implementing the OSHA emergency standards would be “the ultimate workaround for the Federal (government) to require vaccinations.”

They admit to trying to work around the Constitution and the law. OSHA is complicit in doing so.

Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ) introduced a measure to abolish OSHA based on the vaccine mandate overreach.

 

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By Rusty Weiss

Rusty Weiss has been covering politics for over 15 years. His writings have appeared in the Daily Caller, Fox... More about Rusty Weiss

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