Ken Paxton has made no secret over his glee of suing the Biden administration over everything from immigration to LGBTQ workplace protections. But his latest batch of lawsuits all concern one thing: the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
After President Biden first announced a broad vaccine mandate for federal contractors, and companies that employ over a hundred people, Paxton made it clear he was going to sue. Now, that guidance from the Labor Department is finally here for those large companies that employ upwards of 100 million Americans.
Companies now have until January 4 to mandate employees are vaccinated, or they must face weekly testing. There are also a number of other protocols: companies must provide time off for employees to get vaccinated, unvaccinated employees must wear face masks while on the clock, and companies do not have to pay for unvaccinated employees COVID-19 testing.
On Twitter, the indicted Texas Attorney General announced his plan to sue once the mandate hits the Federal register. “Here comes another winning #Texas v. Biden law suit!” he wrote.
A few weeks ago, Paxton sent a letter to state agencies across Texas informing them that he would sue any entity that refuses to comply with the mandate for federal contractors. He also filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration and federal agencies for the vaccination requirement on federal workers.
The tensions between Texas and federal guidance for COVID-19 protocols have been simmering for months now. During the summer, Greg Abbott issued his executive order GA-38 which prohibited any government entity from implementing vaccination requirements.
Though there were many fears throughout the country over a mass exodus of workers due to vaccine mandates, those have mostly proved unfounded. In New York City, the police union was warning that over 10,000 thousand officers would be sidelined from their jobs over refusing the vaccine. It turns out that number was only 34.
With deadlines looming, many industries saw last-minute vaccination numbers skyrocket. Jeffrey Zients, who is the White House Coronavirus Coordinator, recently announced that 80 percent of adults in the United States have received at least one dose of a vaccine.
A longtime writer and journalist, Jessica was thrilled to join the Texas Signal where she could utilize her unique perspective on politics and culture. As the Features and Opinion Editor, she is responsible for coordinating editorials and segments from diverse authors. She is also the host of the podcast the Tex Mix, as well as the co-host for the weekly SignalCast. Jessica attended Harvard College, is a onetime fitness blogger, and has now transitioned to recreational runner (for which her joints are thankful).
