CMS Decision a Victory for Millions of Health Care Workers and Patients, but Staying the OSHA Rule Will Only Prolong the Pandemic
Washington, DC — Today, the Supreme Court issued decisions for two cases addressing lawsuits brought by Republican governors and attorneys general challenging vaccines requirements by CMS and OSHA. The court upheld the CMS vaccine requirement for all health care workers, but it rejected OSHA’s vaccine or testing rule despite widespread support from legal and public health experts. In response, Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach issued the following statement:
“Vaccines are safe, highly-effective, and the best tool we have to put an end to this devastating pandemic. Sadly, Republican lawmakers and dark money groups put their partisan politics above public health and went to court to block vaccine requirements that would save lives and help end this pandemic.
“Today’s decision to allow the CMS vaccine mandate to take effect is a victory for millions of health care workers and patients who are safer because of the actions of the Biden administration. However, the Court’s decision on OSHA’s vaccine or test rule will result in preventable sickness, hospitalizations and deaths. It will strain our health care system and exacerbate supply chain shortages. As Omicron continues to surge, it is outrageous that the GOP wants to force Americans to put themselves at risk by going to work with people who have chosen to be unvaccinated.
“Let’s be clear, President Biden is using the full resources of the United States government to keep us safe and our economy growing. Thanks to Republicans and their handpicked Supreme Court majority, more people will get sick, more people will die, more workplaces will face labor shortages, and more hospitals will become overwhelmed.”