Judge backs state on Biden's vaccine mandate for federal contractors

TALLAHASSEE — Saying President Joe Biden exceeded his authority, a Tampa federal judge Wednesday backed Florida’s attempt to block a COVID-19 vaccination requirement for federal contractors.

U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday issued a 38-page decision granting a motion by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody for a preliminary injunction against the requirement.

Merryday’s decision focused on a Biden executive order issued in September and resulting actions by a task force and the federal Office of Management and Budget that moved forward with the vaccination requirement. He disputed that the Biden administration had shown the requirement was needed.

“The extent of any absenteeism attributable to COVID-19 among contractors and subcontractors is unexplained,” Merryday wrote. “The frequency and duration of any procurement delay attributable to COVID-19 is unexplained. The extent of any cost increases attributable to COVID-19 is unexplained. In other words, the extent of any procurement problem, past or future, attributable to COVID-19 is undemonstrated and is merely a hastily manufactured but unproven hypothesis about recent history and a contrived speculation about the future. Obviously, no massive extension and expansion of presidential power is necessary to cure a non-existent problem and certainly neither ‘good cause’ nor ‘urgent and compelling circumstances’ exists to justify summary disregard of the requirements of administrative law and rulemaking.”

Read more: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/coronavirus/os-ne-coronavirus-judge-blocks-vaccine-mandate-federal-contractors-20211222-e32cydkucbdrtkctvjhh2tqbre-story.html

Judge Merryday was appointed by President George H. W. Bush.