Biden Jab Order Ignites More Virus Controversy

Biden ignores proven conflicting medical facts. Labor lawyer says employers impacted by the OSHA rule will be required to explore whether reasonable accommodation exists for employees who refuse to be vaccinated based on religious beliefs or disabilities.

Terry McIver

Sept. 10, 2021

3 min read

Sept. 10, 2021 -- In what many view as an attempt to deflect attention from his disastrous Afghanistan retreat, on Thursday, September 9, President Biden issued an order for all federal employees to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus (oddly excepting US Postal Service workers, which have a major union behind them and the ability to go on strike), as well as private businesses with more than 100 workers. Workers who decline to be vaccinated must be tested weekly, with a negative result.

In 2020, Biden claimed he would never mandate masks or vaccines.

The order was met with much scorn from constitutionalists who said the order can't possibly stand.

Other legal commentators said Biden is on a firm footing, citing the 1905 case of Jacobsen v. Massachusetts.

Keith Wilkes, a labor and employment partner/shareholder at the national law firm Hall Estill, said the emergency OSHA rule would affect more than 80 million private sector workers. He also questioned the hope some have in challenges to the order.

"OSHA, which falls under the U.S. Department of Labor, will issue an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) to implement the new rule Although the timing of when the ETS requirement will go into effect is not clear, it will likely not be a long wait. The federal government did its legal homework before implementing the same mandate, via Executive Order, for federal employees in July. Today, however, President Biden announced that he is removing the regular testing option for federal employees and employees of all federal contractors,"

Wilkes said.

"Employers impacted by the new OSHA rule will be required to explore whether reasonable accommodation exists for those employees who seek refuge from the vaccination mandate because of a sincerely held religious belief, or a disability-based reason. Absent falling into one of those two categories, unvaccinated private sector employees who fall under this new rule will have no choice but to obtain full vaccination if they wish to keep their current job," Wilkes says.

Adding to the frustration sparked by Biden's order, is his refusal to believe in the value of proven and historically documented natural immunity, to trust solely in a vaccine as the remedy; and, his denial of the fact that not all groups are equally susceptible to the virus. This article by Jeffrey A. Tucker, founder and president of the Brownstone Institute explains five key missteps in Biden's order, including its medical inaccuracies and infringement on personal freedom.

"People are demoralized, panicked, furious, and even at the point of losing it completely over this despotic moment in which we are living," Tucker writes.

About the Author

Terry McIver

Content Director - CB

A career publishing professional, Terence 'Terry' McIver has served three diverse industry publications in varying degrees of responsibility since 1987, and worked in marketing communications for a major U.S. corporation.He joined the staff of Contracting Business magazine in April 2005.

As director of content for Contracting Business, he produces daily content and feature articles for CB's 38,000 print subscribers and many more Internet visitors. He has written hundreds, if not two or three, pieces of news, features and contractor profile articles for CB's audience of quality HVACR contractors. He can also be found covering HVACR industry events or visiting with manufacturers and contractors. He also has significant experience in trade show planning.