White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Monday that the Biden administration’s message to businesses that fall under its vaccine mandate is that they “should not wait” to implement the measure despite a federal court ordering late last week that the mandate be paused due to possible “grave statutory and constitutional issues.”
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted an emergency stay of the federal requirement for companies with 100 or more employees to mandate COVID vaccinations by January 4, 2022, or implement regular testing for workers.
“We think we — people should not wait,” Jean Pierre said. “It’s — we say: Do not wait to take actions that will keep your workplace safe. It is important and critical to do, and waiting to get more people vaccinated will lead to more outbreaks and sickness.”
“So, this is about keeping people in a workplace safe,” she said. “And so — and what we’re seeing is more businesses and school closures and most lost jobs in — keep us — keep us stuck in a pandemic that we’re trying to end. Like we do not want that to happen. We’re trying to get past this pandemic, and we know the way to do that is to get people vaccinated. So, people should not wait. They should continue to go — move forward and make sure that they’re getting their workplace vaccinated.”
WATCH:
TRANSCRIPT PROVIDED VIA THE WHITE HOUSE:
REPORTER: We heard this initial White House response to the Fifth Circuit staying the OSHA rule — the vaccine or test mandate that was (inaudible) — really take effect there beginning of next year. What’s the — is the White House concerned that the legal wrangling surrounding that rule could delay the implementation of that? And what’s the administration’s message to businesses and Americans, you know, who are subject to that rule?
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY: So, broadly speaking, at least on the confidence, defending a policy is not a new thing from an administration, regardless if it’s a Republican or Democratic administration. This is something that happens all the time.
The administration clearly has the authority to protect workers, and actions announced by the President are designed to save lives and stop the spread of COVID-19. And as DOJ said, they will be defending these lawsuits.
But I also want to step back for a second because there is precedence here. You know, the Department of Labor has a responsibility to keep workers safe and the legal authority to do so. The Secretary determines — the Secretary of Department of Labor determines workers at risk or what is called “grave danger.”
And if you look around and if we really, you know, zero in, this past year, more than 750,000 people have died of COVID. You have more — about thirt- — approximately 1,300 people a day who are also — who continue to die a day, as I said, from COVID. If that’s not a “grave danger,” I don’t know what else is. Right?
So, I want to be really clear as well — is that the Congress empowered OSHA with — through a law — through a law that has been in the books for more than 50 years. So, this is an authority that we believe that Department of Labor has. We are very confident about it — confident about it. And just to — just to say this is about keeping people safe in the workplace, and it’s critical and it’s important to do. And so that’s the message that we want to send out.
REPORTER: And what — you know, simply, though, to a business owner that sees the headlines that, you know, the rule has been stayed now, just, you know, will — should they prepare their employees now to get vaccinated, or should they wait while this law is — plays out?
JEAN-PIERRE: No, that’s a great question. I appreciate the question. We think we — people should not wait. It’s — we say: Do not wait to take actions that will keep your workplace safe. It is important and critical to do, and waiting to get more people vaccinated will lead to more outbreaks and sickness.
So, this is about keeping people in a workplace safe. And so — and what we’re seeing is more businesses and school closures and most lost jobs in — keep us — keep us stuck in a pandemic that we’re trying to end. Like we do not want that to happen. We’re trying to get past this pandemic, and we know the way to do that is to get people vaccinated.
So, people should not wait. They should continue to go — move forward and make sure that they’re getting their workplace vaccinated.
