Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Thursday announced a lawsuit against the Occupational Safety and Public Health’s (OSHA) emergency temporary standard (ETS) forcing vaccine mandates and mandatory testing on private companies with over 100 employees.
The Florida governor made good on his promise to “immediately” challenge President Biden’s OSHA rule, announcing the forthcoming lawsuit the same day the rule came out.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about the authorization of the Covid-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11, in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus on November 03, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
“A year and a half ago, we started with 15 days to slow the spread, and now it’s gone to get jabbed or lose your job,” DeSantis said during a press conference in Tallahassee.
Speaking of the OSHA rule, almost 500 pages, DeSantis said, “We’re supposed to be a government of laws, not a government of men.”
“This is 500 pages of a government of a bureaucracy — a government that is being run by executive edict, not in accordance with the typical constitute processes, and the state of Florida is going to respond,” he announced.
People protest against the covid-19 vaccine outside of the Raymond James Stadium prior to the Super Bowl match between Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa, Florida on February 7, 2021. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
“And we will combat the OSHA rule. As soon as it’s published, Florida will be joining with Georgia and Alabama, as well with private plaintiffs to file suit,” the Florida governor said.
“This is a rule that is not consistent with the Constitution and is not legally authored through congressional statutes,” he said, adding that the federal government “can’t just unilaterally impose medical policy under the guise of workplace regulation.”
“And that is exactly what they’re trying to do here,” he said. “This is attempt to shoehorn policy through the bureaucracy in a way that will be difficult for some of these individuals and private parties to resist.”
OSHA released the rule on Thursday, which forces companies with over 100 employees to implement vaccine and testing requirements. It goes into effect January 4. Those who fail to adhere will face $14,000 in fines per violation at the start.
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