On Wednesday, the Senate voted to repeal the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for larger businesses.
The vote was 52-48. Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Jon Tester of Montana voted with Republicans, allowing it to succeed to the House.
Even though the resolution passed in the Senate, it is unlikely to succeed in the Democrat-controlled House. If the bill passed Congress, President Biden would likely veto it.
The vote is still a significant win for Republicans, who were able to use the Congressional Review Act to get a resolution against an executive order through the Senate.
Republicans were led by Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana, who said the mandate was the “heavy hand of government” hurting businesses.
“I would say this and want to hear from the other senators, I hope members in the House, Democrats in places, check with your constituents and make sure that they’re not part of the 86 percent of Americans that say, when you put it in these terms, either get it or you lose your job. You’re on the wrong side of the issue,” Braun said.
The mandate, which is set to start on Jan. 4, will enforce businesses with 100 or more employees to require employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo regular testing.
In a statement about the mandate, Manchin said the federal government “should incentivize, not penalize, private employers whose responsibility it is to protect their employees from COVID-19”. Tester also said he is not “crazy about mandates”.
The mandate has prompted legal challenges from several states and Republicans continue efforts to repeal the mandate.