Yesterday, President Biden released a comprehensive plan to dramatically increase vaccinations as the nation battles a surge in cases driven by the Delta variant. President Biden made clear that the free vaccines are safe and effective and that vaccine requirements are an essential step to getting the pandemic under control. Per the New York Times: “The sweeping actions are the most expansive Mr. Biden has taken to control the pandemic since he assumed the presidency in January, and will affect almost every aspect of American society.” Coverage makes clear that President Biden is delivering on his promises to protect the health and safety of every American while holding Republican leaders and the unvaccinated accountable for impeding our recovery from the pandemic.
Wall Street Journal: Biden Boosts Vaccine Requirements For Large Employers, Federal Workers To Combat Covid-19. “All employers with 100 or more employees would have to require that their workers be vaccinated or undergo at least weekly Covid-19 testing under a new plan announced by President Biden to curb the spread of the pandemic…Businesses that don’t comply can face fines of up to $14,000 per violation. The employers will also have to give workers paid time off to get vaccinated or to recover from any side effects of getting vaccinated.” [Wall Street Journal, 9/9/21]
NBC: Biden Vaccination Mandates Are An Attack On Both Covid And The GOP. “‘A significant majority of Americans are vaccinated and want those around them and their families to be vaccinated. So not only is the president responding to the science, but he’s also responding to the desire of the majority of Americans by using every lever at his disposal to get more people vaccinated.’ Republicans are deeply divided over vaccinations. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has cut ads to encourage people to get shots, and most top GOP officials have been vaccinated. But Republican-led state governments in Texas and Florida have banned vaccination and mask mandates.” [NBC, 9/9/21]
AP: Sweeping New Vaccine Mandates For 100 Million Americans. “The expansive rules mandate that all employers with more than 100 workers require them to be vaccinated or test for the virus weekly, affecting about 80 million Americans. And the roughly 17 million workers at health facilities that receive federal Medicare or Medicaid also will have to be fully vaccinated.” [AP, 9/10/21]
The Hill: The Memo: Biden Comes Out Punching On COVID-19. “[Biden’s] change in tone was more than matched by significant shifts in policy too. The biggest, by far, is a new requirement that employers with 100 or more employees must insist their workers either be vaccinated or undergo weekly COVID-19 tests. This shift alone, drawing on the authority of existing health and safety powers, will affect around 80 million workers…In addition, the White House is undertaking a program that will see a ramping up of the production of rapid COVID-19 tests. Those tests will in turn be made available at cost through three major retailers — Amazon, Walmart and Kroger.” [The Hill, 9/9/21]
Forbes: Biden Unveils New Action Plan To Combat Surging Covid Crisis. “‘The fact that these rules will apply across the board to companies with more than 100 employees may also offer some relief to employers who have been reluctant to impose mandates…The administration’s approach will help equalize the playing field and take some pressure off employers who have been concerned about moving too fast or too early in this important area.’” [Forbes, 9/9/21]
Daily Beast: Biden’s Bold COVID Plan Is the Prescription America Needs. “The president has undoubted power to require vaccines for federal workers and contractors. He can also withhold Medicare and Medicaid funding if hospitals and clinics refuse to mandate vaccines. Most importantly, he has the power to reach deep into the private sector and require businesses to vaccinate their employees. Biden has delivered a roadmap that could lead us out of the woods and finally put us on the right path to a safer, more normal life…his executive orders could be a turning point in America.” [Daily Beast, 9/9/21]
Washington Post: What To Know About Biden’s Pandemic Plan And Vaccine Mandates. “The measures will affect tens of millions of Americans and include mandatory coronavirus vaccination for all federal employees and contractors; vaccine mandates for workers at businesses with 100 or more employees; mandatory paid time off for workers to get shots; and immunization requirements for the workforces of all health facilities that accept Medicare or Medicaid funding.” [9/9/21]
New York Times: Biden Pushes Companies on Vaccine Mandates. “This presidential directive will help industries facing labor shortages, like retail and hospitality, institute a requirement on their frontline workers. ‘It levels the playing field.’” [New York Times, 9/10/21]
Axios: Biden Plans COVID Vaccine Mandate For 80 Million Private Sector Employees. “The Biden administration unveiled a six-pronged plan to respond to the virus on Thursday, which includes efforts to encourage vaccinations and bolster protections for the vaccinated…Health care workers at Medicare and Medicaid participating hospitals and other health care settings — more than 17 million people — will also be required to get vaccinated.” [Axios, 9/9/21]
CNN: Biden’s Six-Step Covid Plan, Explained. “The Defense Production Act will be used to accelerate the production of rapid tests, and the administration is planning to send 25-million free tests to US health clinics. Some retailers, like Amazon, Kroger and Walmart, will sell the at-home tests at cost for the next three months, Biden said.” [CNN, 9/10/21]
CBS: Biden Announces COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates That Will Affect 100 Million Americans. “OSHA will issue an Emergency Temporary Standard to introduce the vaccine requirement. Companies that fail to comply could face fines of $14,000 per violation, Mr. Biden said. That was just one of the mandates and changes the president announced in a speech on boosting vaccinations and battling the COVID-19 pandemic. The president also announced vaccination requirements for health care providers that accept Medicare and Medicaid, for all federal employees and contractors and for the staffs of Head Start programs, Department of Defense Schools and Bureau of Indian Education-operated schools.” [CBS, 9/10/21]