The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for businesses. The vaccine mandate for healthcare workers at federally funded facilities has been left to go into effect.

In striking down the OSHA mandate for businesses, the Supreme Court recognized that the mandate was an instance of government overreach. In a statement, Renee Carlson, General Counsel of Minnesota Family Council’s True North Legal initiative said,

The Court correctly decided that OSHA engaged in significant government overreach, with an unprecedented broad general public health regulation, to the detriment of millions of Americans. Indeed, the Court correctly opined there is a “crucial distinction” between “occupational risk” and general risk we all face in our daily lives. And it is not for OSHA to assert itself beyond its authority as it did in this mandate.

In the ruling, the Court stated, “Permitting OSHA to regulate the hazards of daily life — simply because most Americans have jobs and face those same risks while on the clock — would significantly expand OSHA’s regulatory authority without clear congressional authorization.” It is not OSHA’s job to legislate the healthcare decisions of American citizens, nor do they have the authority to do so.

The Court went on to say,

Although Congress has indisputably given OSHA the power to regulate occupational dangers, it has not given that agency the power to regulate public health more broadly. Requiring the vaccination of 84 million Americans, selected simply because they work for employers with more than 100 employees, certainly falls in the latter category.

The Court emphasized that public health decisions belong in the realm of Congress and the States, not administrative agencies like OSHA. This emphasis is a crucial reminder that elections matter! These legislative decisions affect the liberties of everyday Americans which is why it is so important that we elect leaders who will use their authority wisely and in a manner that upholds the rights and freedoms of Americans.

For further reading, see Why Minnesota Family Council Opposes Vaccine Mandates.

Image: Joe Ravi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0