- Gov. Ron DeSantis has pledged to fight the Biden administration over federal vaccine mandates.
- “I am offended that a police officer could potentially lose their job,” he said on Thursday.
- DeSantis has opposed broad vaccine requirements and mask mandates in K-12 public schools.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, a vocal opponent of COVID-19 vaccine mandates, on Thursday said that the state will fight the federal government in court over legislation regarding such requirements.
DeSantis, a potential 2024 presidential candidate, has spoken out forcefully against vaccination rules placed on employers, and last month said that President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate was a violation of Florida law.
“Let’s not have Biden come in and effectively take away – threaten to take away – the jobs of people who have been working hard throughout this entire pandemic,” DeSantis said during a news conference this week. “I am offended that a police officer could potentially lose their job.”
“I just think it’s fundamentally wrong to be taking people’s jobs away, particularly given the situations that we see ourselves facing with the economy,” he added.
The rule from the federal government mandates that employers with over 100 workers must require vaccination or conduct weekly testing, which would affect about 80 million Americans. The broader mandate would also affect about 17 million healthcare workers who are employed by hospitals that accept Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, along with federal employees and contractors.
