Thomas Catenacci
Republican states said they were reviewing all legal avenues after President Joe Biden unveiled strict requirements for private sector companies to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for employees.
Several state attorneys general quickly condemned the president’s actions Thursday and warned they would take the Biden administration to court to defend individual liberties. Arizona, Montana, Indiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Georgia and South Carolina were all among the states that threatened legal action in response to the White House announcement.
“President Biden is now taking federal overreach to unheard of levels by dictating vaccine mandates for all private companies with over 100 people, federal contractors, and healthcare providers receiving federal dollars,” Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich said in a statement shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“I am reviewing his outrageous actions and will take all legal recourse to defend our state’s sovereignty and the rights of Arizonans to make the best healthcare decisions for themselves,” he continued.
On Thursday, Biden unveiled a series of steps that the federal government will take to increase the rate of coronavirus vaccinations nationwide. The president authorized the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to develop a rule mandating “all employers with 100 or more employees to ensure their workforce is fully vaccinated or require any workers who remain unvaccinated to produce a negative test result on at least a weekly basis,” according to his announcement.
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, who like Brnovich has already filed multiple lawsuits against the Biden administration, is also reviewing legal options.
“Attorney General Knudsen will be exploring all possible legal avenues to protect businesses and hard-working Montanans from this lawless mandate which infringes on our rights,” spokesperson Emilee Cantrell told the DCNF in a statement.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr and Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge both tweeted that they were prepared to defend residents in their states. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita likened Biden’s actions to those of “dictators in a banana republic.”
“Biden’s historic overreach on vaccine mandates will not stand in Missouri,” Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt tweeted. “We’re at a crossroads in America — who we are and what we’re going to be. We must fight back.”
In addition, several governors including South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt also vowed to defend their states from Biden’s alleged overreach.
“(Biden) see you in court,” Noem tweeted shortly after the president’s remarks.
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