Last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a lawsuit against the Biden administration’s order requiring employees of federal contractors to be vaccinated by December 8.
The lawsuit seeks an immediate end to the unlawful requirement that federal contractors ensure that all employees have received a mandated injection. The governor was joined at the announcement by state Attorney General Ashley Moody, as well as Floridians who have faced or are facing consequences as a result of vaccine mandates.
“Just months ago Joe Biden was saying that it wouldn’t be appropriate or lawful for the federal government to mandate these COVID shots,” said DeSantis. “But now we have somehow gone from 15 days to slow the spread to three jabs to keep your job. The federal government is exceeding their power and it is important for us to take a stand because in Florida we believe these are choices based on individual circumstances.”
Last week, DeSantis announced a Special Session of the Florida Legislature to “provide protections for employees and defend the right of parents to opt their children out of school mask and quarantine mandates.”
“Governor DeSantis has made it abundantly clear that we have a responsibility to fight back against unconstitutional federal overreach and that is exactly what we will accomplish through this lawsuit and during the upcoming Special Session,” said Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez. “We look forward to working with Senate President Simpson and House Speaker Sprowls to empower parents, provide protections for employees, and further protect our rights and liberties that we hold dear as Floridians.”
“I have never seen such blatant disregard for the Constitution or the laws governing our country,” said Moody. “President Biden does not have the authority to force millions of Americans to receive a shot, nor does he have the ability to punish Florida economically for not abiding by his authoritarian, unlawful, and unconstitutional executive order. I promised to challenge this gross abuse of power and to stand up for hardworking Floridians and that is exactly why I am suing this president and his reckless administration. As attorney general, I have an obligation to defend the rule of law, Florida’s workers, and our state against heavy-handed federal overreach.”
“These federal mandates through the contractor relationship are creating a system that is forcing our vendors to make a choice between keeping their jobs and providing for their families or taking a jab that might not meet their own personal health needs, religious needs, or whatever it may be,” said Robert Doyle, the director of the Florida Division of Blind Services. “This is not a conversation about a vaccine. This is a conversation about federal overreach. This is a conversation about a mandate that disenfranchises people from their opportunity to pursue their goals and the American Dream. I am extremely troubled by the federal government’s actions trying to interfere with the personal healthcare decisions of our citizens and the clients that we serve. The federal government is threatening the livelihoods, the dignity, the self-respect, and the self-direction of our blind entrepreneurs. I thank Governor DeSantis for what he is doing, for standing up for the blind, and for standing up for all of the folks of Florida.”
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