Pa. Rep. Keller pushes effort to nullify Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for business

(*This story was updated at 11:15 a.m., on Thursday, 11/18/21, to clarify sponsorship of the House resolution. It was further updated at 1:29 p.m. on 11/18/21 to add comment from U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, D-3rd District.) 

U.S. Rep. Fred Keller, R-12th District, and dozens of his fellow Republicans in the U.S. House are pushing an effort to overturn the Biden White House’s vaccine mandate for private employers.

*On Wednesday, the central Pennsylvania lawmaker introduced a resolution nullifying the administration’s order that companies with more than 100 employees require those workers to be fully vaccinated, or show a negative test at least once a week.

“[Two hundred] Republicans in the House & Senate are standing [with] the American people in opposition to Biden’s vaccine mandate on businesses,” Keller wrote on Twitter.  Our Congressional Review Act resolution puts every member of Congress on record: You’re either for this blatant gov’t overreach or you’re against it.”

200 Republicans in the House & Senate are standing w/ the American people in opposition to Biden's vaccine mandate on businesses.

Our Congressional Review Act resolution puts every member of Congress on record: You're either for this blatant gov't overreach or you're against it. pic.twitter.com/Q5orCDo9my

— Congressman Fred Keller (@RepFredKeller) November 18, 2021

Taking to Twitter, Keller’s fellow Pennsylvania Republicans lined up in support.

“I stood with my colleagues this evening in support of [Keller’s] Congressional Review Act legislation to block Pres. Biden’s misguided, unnecessary and frankly unconstitutional vaccine mandate,” U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker, R-11th District, wrote on Twitter.

I stood with my colleagues this evening in support of @RepFredKeller’s Congressional Review Act legislation to block Pres. Biden’s misguided, unnecessary and frankly unconstitutional vaccine mandate. pic.twitter.com/zqp0UUhArs

— Rep. Lloyd Smucker (@RepSmucker) November 18, 2021

“I’m proud to join [Keller] on this bill,” U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-16th District, wrote on Twitter. “Fining employers $14,000 *per violation* will hurt our economic recovery and potentially destroy some companies. We can’t afford to lose more workers and worsen our supply chain problems even more than we’re already seeing.”

I'm proud to join @RepFredKeller on this bill. Fining employers $14,000 *per violation* will hurt our economic recovery and potentially destroy some companies. We can't afford to lose more workers and worsen our supply chain problems even more than we're already seeing. https://t.co/jcBOXsgAOw

— Rep. Mike Kelly (@MikeKellyPA) November 17, 2021

U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, D-3rd District, pushed back against Keller’s effort in an answering tweet:

1/ Americans need the pandemic to END – the vaccine is our best tool to do that.
The majority of American adults have gotten vaccinated because they know this – they’re not asking for#RightToInfect/anti-vax bills at the federal OR state level.
Let’s END this pandemic! https://t.co/yaZigrB0js

— Congressman Dwight Evans (@RepDwightEvans) November 18, 2021

Here’s the text of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution:

“Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That Congress disapproves the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to ‘‘COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard” and such rule shall have no force or effect.”