Biden Expands Vaccine Push With Mandates For Private Sector

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President Joe Biden on Thursday announced sweeping vaccination and testing requirements for federal government workers, contractors and even private sector employees, as his administration works to fight the spreading coronavirus.

All federal workers and contractors will need to get fully vaccinated in the coming weeks, as will health care workers at providers that receive federal funding through Medicaid and Medicare. The administration will also require all businesses with 100 or more employees to require testing at least once a week for unvaccinated workers.

The directives represent a significant step in pushing the private sector, an area where the president has been hesitant to use federal powers too heavily.

These new standards are part of Biden’s six-part plan to respond to yet another surge in COVID-19 cases, which announced Thursday. The plan is largely focused on increasing the rate of vaccinations in the United States among eligible populations.

Biden showed serious frustration with unvaccinated Americans while announcing the plan.

“Many of us are frustrated with the nearly 80 million Americans who are still not vaccinated,” Biden said.

“We’ve been patient, but our patience is wearing thin,” he added, addressing unvaccinated people directly and reiterating that the vaccine is free, safe and available.

About 75% of Americans have gotten at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine. The U.S. was quicker than other industrialized countries to get people vaccinated in early months, but vaccination rates have slowed significantly, putting the nation behind most of Western Europe and Scandinavia.

“The path ahead, even with the delta variant, is not nearly as bad as last winter, but what makes it incredibly more frustrating is that we have the tools to combat COVID-19 and a distinct minority of Americans supported by a distinct minority of elected officials are keeping us from turning the corner,” Biden said. “These pandemic politics are making people sick, causing unvaccinated people to die.”

The more transmissible delta variant of the coronavirus has led to a spike in hospitalizations and deaths as a wave of infections has spread primarily through unvaccinated populations.

“This is the pandemic of the unvaccinated,” one senior administration official said Thursday. “But with the unvaccinated filling our hospitals and putting our kids and economy at risk, their actions are affecting us all.”

Tyson Foods workers receive COVID-19 vaccines from health officials at the facility in Joslin, Illinois.
The administration has been slow to adopt vaccination mandates, but it has been increasingly willing to implement such policies as death tolls go up, including requirements around nursing homes and the military.

In the coming weeks, the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which has overseen compliance with federal COVID-19 safety regulations, will require companies with 100 or more workers to either mandate vaccination or require unvaccinated workers to test negative for COVID-19 on at least a weekly basis before coming into work.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/vaccine ... 19c5023860

I expect DeSatan in Florida and Abbott/Paxton in Texas are sharping their crayons to sue the Federal Government and Biden over this liberal Democrats power takeover.
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.-Huxley
"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." ~ Louis Brandeis,

Re: Biden Expands Vaccine Push With Mandates For Private Sector

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GOP governors throw tantrums after Biden takes action to mandate vaccinations

Multiple Republican governors came to the defense of those who have refused to get vaccinated following President Joe Biden's address to the country announcing new federal steps to control the pandemic.

Biden announced that all employers with over 100 employees must require vaccination or require weekly COVID-19 testing of employees. Biden also announced all federal workers and contractors would need to be vaccinated. And Biden required all 17 million health care workers at facilities receiving federal funding would need to get vaccinated.

Some Republican governors quickly sided with the unvaccinated, even though over 75% of adults have already chosen to get vaccinated.

Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt vowed he would defy the mandates.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, who has one of the nation's lowest vaccination rates, said Biden's actions were "terrifying."

Even though the pandemic is so bad in Idaho that hospitals are rationing care, Gov. Brad Little complained about "government overreach."

Alabama GOP Gov. Kay Ivey called Biden's actions "outrageous."

Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds said she trusts that Iowans who have not gotten vaccinated have made the "best health decision for themselves and their families."

Montana Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte said Biden's actions were "unlawful and un-American."

Arkansas GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson said mandates were "not the right answer."

Nebraska GOP Gov. Pete Ricketts said his state will "stand up to President Biden's overreach."

President Biden’s announcement is a stunning violation of personal freedom and abuse of the federal government’s po… https://t.co/Lu9gF1Tymj
— Gov. Pete Ricketts (@Gov. Pete Ricketts) 1631224920.0
Nebraska will stand up to President Biden’s overreach, and we will be working with the Attorney General to explore… https://t.co/XkLIDxBSKH
— Gov. Pete Ricketts (@Gov. Pete Ricketts) 1631224922.0
https://www.rawstory.com/gop-governors-biden-mandates/

Those poor little crybabies. They just need to go into a timeout for a long time.
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.-Huxley
"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." ~ Louis Brandeis,

Re: Biden Expands Vaccine Push With Mandates For Private Sector

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Biden was doing well in the approval polls until Afghanistan, he's now under water but not as bad as Trump. This will push him lower.
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/bi ... id=rrpromo

Can't get back to normal until we control COVID infections, so we can get back to full production, stores in my area still aren't fully stocked. Biden probably made the decision to take the hit now and hope his polls go back up by the midterms and the party recovers. With the trillion dollar spending bills lately the debt limit needs to be raised and Republicans are against it, Yellen said we'll go into default in November if it isn't raised.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Re: Biden Expands Vaccine Push With Mandates For Private Sector

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Like seatbelt laws, Biden is trying to save Americans from themselves. Raising fines, increasing health insurance cost for non-vaxxers - hitting the dumb in pocketbook is all they understand. I can't fault him for trying.
"Being Republican is more than a difference of opinion - it's a character flaw." "COVID can fix STUPID!"
The greatest, most aggrieved mistake EVER made in USA was electing DJT as POTUS.

Re: Biden Expands Vaccine Push With Mandates For Private Sector

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A touch of Reality from yesterday in Hidalgo County Tx:
356 New Covid-19 cases:
15 deaths:

0-11 age: 96 kids
12-19 kids: 65
20's: 48
30's: 47
40's: 44
50's: 21
60 and older: 35

So 300 Covid Cases in the younger kids and adults and 56 Covid Cases in the 50 and over segment.

It's pretty clear from the numbers that our modern intelligent youth are capable of taking care of themselves and so no masking or vaccination requirements could be warranted.
To be vintage it must be older than me!
The next gun I buy will be the next to last gun I ever buy. PROMISE!
jim

Re: Biden Expands Vaccine Push With Mandates For Private Sector

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There are those that scream Big Brother overreach from both the left and right. But this is not the first time web have had to do this, 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic where citizens were required by law to quarantine in their homes and in hospitals since we didn't have vaccines for the Flu. Outbreaks of Yellow Fever and Dengue Fever in the south would have whole areas quarantine with travel restated by the government. Also most people except us old farts don't remember standing in line to get our required polio shots along with other vaccines so we could go to school. Had to show the shot record to register. During WWII it was considered a duty to get vaccinated to prevent a disease from spreading and crippling the war effort. Those that didn't get vaccinated were branded slackers and aiding the enemy.

In the case of some diseases like TB if a person doesn't take the treatments and continues to expose people to the disease they can be held and forced to take the treatment. The public health laws are still on the books even though the TB Hospital in Tyler TX is closed. If a person will not take the preventive measures to insure they don't spread the disease they should be required to quarantine.

The government from the Federal on down dropped the ball on preventing the spread by not using the power of the propaganda like was used in WWII to get across to the right wing numbskulls to mask up. Slogans such as"Don't Let the Virus Win" "Mask Up - Americans Protecting Americans" and so on. Unfortunately we had the chief Numbskull tell every other rightwing numbskull to not worry it just like the flu.

Biden is correct in doing what he is doing, even though we might see the courts disagree. This time the only way we can fight this pandemic is by hitting the companies in the pocketbook by making them pay if they don't follow the rules.
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.-Huxley
"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." ~ Louis Brandeis,

Re: Biden Expands Vaccine Push With Mandates For Private Sector

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The government has mandated all sorts of vaccines in children or they don't get to play in public schools. That has saved our asses in the past and the kids have gone on to live productive lives being mostly immune from dreaded diseases. It's the adults and a new killer thats the problem. Just a lot of dumb adults.
85% 0f democrats vaccinated vs 55% republicans. I say not my problem. But sad for the children.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,”

Re: Biden Expands Vaccine Push With Mandates For Private Sector

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In general I don't favor mandates either, but this is a major public health problem. Employers I can see mandating it and Biden oversees the federal civil service and USPS. Our hospitals are full in some areas and we're bleeding cash on a problem that has an easy cure.
cash that we could use for more important things. We were the first to rollout vaccines while other countries stumbled, but right now Canada, UK, Germany, France and of course Israel have more people vaccinated than we do.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Re: Biden Expands Vaccine Push With Mandates For Private Sector

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Well no one can say Biden lacks balls...Whew, this is a BOLD move. I'm not sure I would have taken it this far, but we'll see how it goes. If there is one thing I learned under 4 years of Trump; wait a couple of days before you lose your shit. Take some time to evaluate.

So something I thought about last night:

1 - A VERY pro-business move...This takes ALL the heat off of businesses. You can bet without this, every business who mandates would be facing lawsuits; this makes such lawsuits irrelevant.

2 - FACT - Its unreasonable to expect a business to run at capacity when 20% of their staff is out sick every day of the week.

3 - This will be fast tracked to SCOTUS, and that's where things are going to get interesting. He really needs to get the business world to rally around him if this has a snowball's chance in in hell of surviving SCOTUS intact.
3a - I really thing both sides of the isle are going to be surprised by what SCOTUS upholds, and shoots down.
3b - This could be the one of the most significant SCOTUS decisions in US history.

Lastly - To the guy who coined the phrase "May you live in interesting times"... Go fuck yourself!!
“I think there’s a right-wing conspiracy to promote the idea of a left-wing conspiracy”

Re: Biden Expands Vaccine Push With Mandates For Private Sector

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GeorgiaRN wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 12:15 pm What happens when this becomes the "Pandemic of Gun Violence?" "This is not about personal choice or freedom, this is about protecting those around you" "We are going to protect the vaccinated from the unvaccinated" Very chilling words when you apply them to your gun rights. Something to think about.
Yawn!

When there are 300,000+ gun deaths annually it can be called a pandemic.

And as much as I enjoy being a gun owner I cannot even imaging equating the two issues.

If your scenario did happen then I'd look around and realize that life might go on if I lost all my guns.
To be vintage it must be older than me!
The next gun I buy will be the next to last gun I ever buy. PROMISE!
jim

Re: Biden Expands Vaccine Push With Mandates For Private Sector

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GeorgiaRN wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 12:15 pm What happens when this becomes the "Pandemic of Gun Violence?" "This is not about personal choice or freedom, this is about protecting those around you" "We are going to protect the vaccinated from the unvaccinated" Very chilling words when you apply them to your gun rights. Something to think about.
I hate the slippery slope arguments. You can what-if anything into a Nazi German scenario. So many people do that and take something that's good policy and end up opposing it because they have worked themselves up into a frenzy "thought experimenting" things into a slippery slope argument.

If this holds, it has no legal precedence in the courts in relation to guns whatsoever. That's a completely different topic, different set of circumstances, and very different legal standards where the courts are concerned. You won't find ANY SCOTUS justice that connects these two items; because they are fundamentally completely different.

Here's how I look at it. If it's good policy, I support it. If it's bad policy, I oppose it. I take them as they come, and I don't what if things into the ground.

If they try it with guns, well they'll have a very different fight on their hands.
“I think there’s a right-wing conspiracy to promote the idea of a left-wing conspiracy”

Re: Biden Expands Vaccine Push With Mandates For Private Sector

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Wino wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 12:28 pm Straw man trolling and/or false equivalence. How about comparing with another vaccine, say polio or smallpox?
Or just the common every year influenza. It has been less since we have the Flu vaccine. BTW everybody should get your flu vaccine this year.

As for equating the COVID mandates to gun control, I would be more afraid of states using the pattern of the Texas anti-abortion law to be applied to gun control. Sue your neighbor for having an evil black rifle and collect $10,000.
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.-Huxley
"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." ~ Louis Brandeis,

Re: Biden Expands Vaccine Push With Mandates For Private Sector

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GeorgiaRN wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 12:15 pm What happens when this becomes the "Pandemic of Gun Violence?" "This is not about personal choice or freedom, this is about protecting those around you" "We are going to protect the vaccinated from the unvaccinated" Very chilling words when you apply them to your gun rights. Something to think about.
I don't recall a constitutional right that protects one's right to be a vector during a pandemic.

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TrueTexan wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 12:54 pm
Wino wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 12:28 pm Straw man trolling and/or false equivalence. How about comparing with another vaccine, say polio or smallpox?
Or just the common every year influenza. It has been less since we have the Flu vaccine. BTW everybody should get your flu vaccine this year.

As for equating the COVID mandates to gun control, I would be more afraid of states using the pattern of the Texas anti-abortion law to be applied to gun control. Sue your neighbor for having an evil black rifle and collect $10,000.
Not to mention last years normal flu infections was almost non-existent due to MASKING, Social Distancing, and hand sanitizer.
"Being Republican is more than a difference of opinion - it's a character flaw." "COVID can fix STUPID!"
The greatest, most aggrieved mistake EVER made in USA was electing DJT as POTUS.

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I’m not for bans or excessive mandates. However, a pandemic is a different critter all together and it does have a potential endpoint when normalcy and restrictions end. The justification is simple, “ We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” A pandemic is a threat to our security and our welfare. Both are outlined as prime reasons for the existence of our government and nation.
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"Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated!" Loquacious of many. Texas Chapter Chief Cat Herder.

Re: Biden Expands Vaccine Push With Mandates For Private Sector

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sikacz wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 2:48 pm I’m not for bans or excessive mandates. However, a pandemic is a different critter all together and it does have a potential endpoint when normalcy and restrictions end. The justification is simple, “ We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” A pandemic is a threat to our security and our welfare. Both are outlined as prime reasons for the existence of our government and nation.

Yes, this isn't a new Patriot Act that we're still trying to get rid of, this will be of short duration. Definitely "insure domestic tranquility" and "promote the general welfare".

I don't think SCOTUS will see this in an ideological way ,they are all old men and women and all of them have been fully vaccinated. Back in August 2021 some Indiana University students filed suit to block the university's mandatory vaccination requirement, SCOTUS refused to block the mandate.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

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"Those that don't read and understand history are doomed to repeat it." That quote or its variations holds true today. We can look back at various waves of plagues that swept through populations killing a large percentage because they didn't have a means of stopping it like we have with a vaccine. Most notable plagues the Black Death in Europe not just once but multiple times. First time in 1346 and killed from 30 to 60 percent of the population. Net time in 1720 in France was called the Bubonic Plague and killed 126,000 in Provence because the official dithered.

The Aztec were decimated and defeated not so much by Spanish arms but by the Measles. We wiped out many Native Americans with them catching the measles or with Smallpox and Chicken Pox infected trade blankets.

In 1918 the Spanish Flu infected 25 percent of Americans and killed 675,000 Americans. A side note. Our troops going to fight in Europe carried the virus to Europe. infecting the Allies and the Germans. German troops were heavily infected to the point that is one of the major reason they sued for peace.

We have had many epidemics of Typhoid, Yellow Fever, Malaria, Dengue Fever, and a few others in the southern US due to the vectors of warm weather and mosquitoes. Polio not spread by mosquitoes but seem to spread more in warm environments.

Now due to the advances of modern medicine we tend to forget about that history and think we can just go blindly about our business without precautions until the next wave of disease hits us and we have to learn all over again.
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.-Huxley
"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." ~ Louis Brandeis,

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