18 States File Three Separate Lawsuits Against the Federal COVID-19 Employee Vaccine Mandate

Eighteen states filed three separate lawsuits Friday to stop President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors, arguing that the requirement violates federal law.  Attorneys general from Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming signed on to one lawsuit, which was filed in a federal district court in Missouri. Another group of states including Georgia, Alabama, Idaho, Kansas, South Carolina, Utah and West Virginia filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Georgia.  On Friday, Texas sued individually.  The states are asking federal judges to block President Biden’s requirement that all employees of federal contractors be vaccinated against the coronavirus by December 8th, arguing that the mandate violates federal procurement law and is an overreach of federal power.  President Biden has argued that sweeping vaccine mandates will help end the deadly pandemic.  Finally, the suits argue that the rule violates the 10th Amendment reserving power to the states, illegally uses federal spending to coerce the states, and that 60 days of public comment was not properly allowed.