The U.S. Senate passed a resolution Wednesday night to block President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate on private employers. (Photo by Parker Michels-Boyce/ For the Virginia Mercury)
The state of Iowa has joined a lawsuit against the federal government, arguing that a requirement for federal employees to get vaccinated is “unconstitutional, unlawful, and unwise.”
President Joe Biden in early September signed an executive order that requires federal employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 with no opt-out. The rule is scheduled to take effect on Dec. 8.
Iowa has just over 18,000 federal employees, including U.S. Postal Service workers and National Guard members.
Ten states filed a lawsuit against Biden and other federal officials on Friday in the Eastern District Court of Missouri. The suit alleges that a vaccine mandate for federal workers is unconstitutional, overrides states’ rights and would disrupt important work in the states.
“I believe the vaccine is the best defense against COVID-19, but no one should be forced to choose between making a living or standing up for their personal beliefs,” Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a statement. “As long as I am governor, the State of Iowa will always stand alongside Iowans … to be sure their freedoms are protected.”
Reynolds announced Iowa’s participation in the lawsuit just hours after she signed a law that will provide unemployment benefits to Iowans who are fired for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The law also explicitly creates exemptions to employer vaccine mandates.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics.
Related News
