KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, along with nine other state attorney generals, filed a lawsuit Friday against the Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccine mandate on federal contractors and federally contracted employees.
In September, President Joe Biden announced new federal vaccine requirements for all employees in the executive branch and who do business with the federal government as well as employers with more than 100 workers.
Schmitt led the ten state coalition lawsuit with Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson.
The 12-count lawsuit argues that Biden's Executive Order 14042 violates the Procurement Policy Act because it is an "unlawful usurpation of states' police powers," according to a news release from Schmitt's office. The lawsuit also claims the order violates the Anti-Commandeering Doctrine and the Administrative Procedures Act.
“Today, I led a ten state coalition in filing a lawsuit to halt the Biden Administration’s unlawful, unconstitutional vaccine mandate for federal contractors. My office has led the nation in taking action to fight back against attempts by petty tyrants to impose their control through mask mandates. Now, we’re leading the nation in fighting back against this absurd federal overreach,” Schmitt said in the release. “According to the U.S. Department of Labor, workers who are employed by a federal contractor make up one-fifth of the entire labor market. If the federal government attempts to unconstitutionally exert its will and force federal contractors to mandate vaccinations, the workforce and businesses could be decimated, further exacerbating the supply chain and workforce crises. The federal government should not be mandating vaccinations, and that’s why we filed suit today – to halt this illegal, unconstitutional action.”
Schmitt and Peterson are joined by the attorney generals from Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming in the lawsuit.
After Biden issued the federal vaccine mandate, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announcedthat his administration is vowing legal action.
Parson issued an executive order Thursday that opposes Biden's federal mandate from "compelling" people to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
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Biden's mandate would require around 100 million Americans to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
