WIVT – NewsChannel 34

Biden’s efforts to keep America safe

WASHINGTON DC – The Biden Administration says it is moving forward in their efforts to keep America safe, following the Supreme Court blocking the vaccine mandate for large businesses.

NewsChannel 34’s Reshad Hudson has more.

“We were very disappointed,” says Labor Secretary Marty Walsh.

The Biden Administration suffered a major blow Thursday when the Supreme Court blocked it from enforcing it’s sweeping vaccine-or-test requirements for large private companies.

“What I’m doing now is encouraging businesses to continue to move forward to do everything they can to keep their employees safe,” says Walsh.

Walsh says although the government can’t enforce a vaccine mandate companies still have a responsibility to keep employees safe.

“We’re going to be enforcing anything that we can right now to make sure that people are safe,” says Walsh.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says some businesses are already protecting their workers from COVID.

“Nearly 40 percent of fortune 100 companies have vaccine requirements,” says Psaki.

Walsh wouldn’t say whether the Administration plans to issue a more targeted rule in the future but did say that it will continue to work with businesses to get employees vaccinated voluntarily.

“Our intention was not to work against business, our intention was to work collectively together,” says Walsh.

Kansas Senator Roger Marshall agreed with the court’s decision for private companies but was disappointed justices allowed a separate mandate for healthcare workers to remain in place.

“Nursing shortages all over the country before covid the mandate has made it worse,” says Marshall.

Marshall says the nursing shortage is President Biden’s fault.