U.S. Supreme Court Issues Stay of Illegal OSHA Vaccine Mandate
In a 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has issued a stay of the OSHA employer vaccine mandate, pending further review by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
In layman’s terms, that means the rule cannot go into effect until the legal process is complete, and the Court sent the case back to the Sixth Circuit to finish its work. However, the opinion says specifically that the challengers are “likely to succeed on the merits of their claim that the Secretary lacked authority to impose the mandate.”
This is a historic victory against government overreach. The Supreme Court’s decision to stay the illegal vaccine mandate is a win for American workers and business owners in every corner of the country. Business owners like Brandon Trosclair fought and beat the Biden administration on behalf of their team members and communities to keep the government out of individuals’ private health care decisions.
In its ruling, the Court wrote, “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.”
American workers and businesses would have faced crippling costs had the mandate been allowed to go into effect. The Supreme Court’s decision comes after last Friday’s oral arguments were heard on the OSHA mandate, which required workers to get vaccinated or get tested weekly for COVID.
Chief Justice John Roberts, during Friday’s oral arguments, suggested doubts that the 1970 OSH Act, governing OSHA, “gives free rein to the agencies to enact such broad regulation.”
In November, the Pelican Institute, along with Liberty Justice Center, filed a lawsuit against the illegal mandate. We represent Brandon Trosclair, a Louisiana grocery store owner who employs nearly 500 people across 15 grocery stores in Louisiana and Mississippi. The Supreme Court decision will protect businesses like Brandon’s across the United States from the dire ramifications.