Senate Republicans announced this week they plan to use the Congressional Review Act to challenge and nullify President Joe Biden’s employer COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
The Biden administration is expected this week to formally roll out its new rule requiring employers with more than 100 employees to mandate either vaccination or weekly testing. Businesses that don’t comply could face stiff fines.
However, 40 Senate Republicans, led by Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., plan to force the Senate to vote on a resolution disapproving of the rule. The resolution would have to pass both chambers of Congress and be signed by Biden, which means it will likely fall short. But Republicans still see the resolution as an opportunity to put pressure on vulnerable Democrats who are up for reelection in 2022.
“Today, we are one step closer to protecting the liberties of millions of Americans in the private sector workforce under the Congressional Review Act. I urge my Senate colleagues to vote in favor of this disapproval resolution in the coming weeks,” Braun said in a statement.
Every congressperson who cares about civil liberties must oppose Biden’s unconstitutional overreach, Republicans added.
“We all want to put this pandemic behind us, but the decision to vaccinate is an individual choice and should not be mandated by the federal government,” Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said in a statement.
“The federal government does not have the constitutional or statutory authority to take this action,” he said, “and to make this clear we will be exercising our congressional authority to overturn this rule with a Congressional Review Act resolution.”
Other Republicans supporting the measure include Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Rick Scott, R-Fla., Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
A Republican aide told Fox News that the rest of the Senate GOP caucus, which includes Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and more moderate Republicans like Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, are waiting for Biden to formally unveil the rule before the sign onto the resolution. The aide noted there is no Republican opposition to the resolution.
