NAICU Washington Update

Federal Contractor Vaccine Mandate Blocked by Court

December 10, 2021

A federal district court has issued a nationwide injunction temporarily blocking the vaccine mandate for federal contractors from going into effect. 

According to the court, the states that filed the lawsuit are likely to succeed in their claim that President Biden exceeded statutory authority when he issued an Executive Order requiring federal contractors and subcontractors to ensure that all employees are fully vaccinated by January 18. The court’s decision followed closely on the heels of last week’s ruling by another district court that blocked the federal contractor vaccine mandate from being implemented in Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee. 

In response to these rulings, several institutions of higher education that are federal contractors have suspended the employee vaccine requirements that they had previously imposed pursuant to the federal mandate. 

The federal contracting requirements are part of President Biden’s COVID-19 action plan. Another component of that plan – a vaccine or testing mandate for large employers – has also been temporarily halted by a federal court.
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