The publication is reproduced in full below:
VACCINE MANDATES NEED TO STOP
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 4, 2021, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania
(Mr. Keller) for 30 minutes.
General Leave
Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that each Member have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Pennsylvania?
There was no objection.
Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I have said it before and I will say it again: The greatest threat that this pandemic has imposed on the American people is growing government control over their lives.
A stalled supply chain, exploding inflation, and a crisis at our southern border are all issues that require immediate attention. Yet, the Biden administration is not addressing any of these issues.
Instead, President Biden thinks it is a good idea to ignore the crisis he created and impose a crushing Federal vaccine mandate on businesses that will affect more than 80 million Americans and decimate our workforce.
My colleagues and I have had enough with President Biden's tone-deaf mandates.
Today, I was joined by all 50 Republican Senators and 107 Members in the House in introducing a Congressional Review Act to nullify President Biden's vaccine mandate on America's workers and businesses.
This mandate is illegal, and we are fighting to stop it. I am joined by my colleagues this evening to explain why we need to stop this.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Miller).
Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Keller for yielding. It has been great starting the day today in prayer for our country and now finishing with this Special Order.
The Fifth Circuit blocking OSHA's COVID mandate is a huge win for the American people, but Biden and the far left aren't going to give up this power grab without a fight.
This vaccine mandate would destroy what is left of our economy and make Americans less safe.
We are forcing people to quit their jobs with unconstitutional mandates from an out-of-control Federal Government.
This mandate is causing the American people to be less safe by making firefighters, police officers, Border Patrol, and nurses to choose between the jab or their job.
If U.S. military members are discharged, China and our adversaries stand to be the beneficiaries.
Natural immunity is completely ignored because natural immunity doesn't have a lobbyist here in D.C.
We cannot sit idly by while the government works to centralize the personal health information of Americans. Americans have the God-given right to the pursuit of happiness, and we will not bow to king Biden and his unconstitutional edicts.
Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Mann).
Mr. MANN. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Keller for hosting this Special Order and for his hard work and leadership.
I rise today with you and scores of our colleagues to call for congressional review of President Biden's vaccine mandates.
During his tenure in the White House, President Biden has circumvented this Congress to issue multiple executive orders imposing vaccine mandates on all Federal employees, Federal contractors, healthcare workers, and even private businesses with more than 100 employees.
These mandates are forcing Americans to choose between their paychecks and their principles.
I have heard from multiple agents at the USDA's Farm Service Agency who have chosen to resign rather than receive the vaccine. Just a year ago, these same agents were deemed essential, connecting vital resources to farmers and ranchers, and today, they are out of a job.
Congress should immediately review these mandates in full and take up legislation like my bill, the Stop Vaccine Mandates Act, which would have prohibited OSHA from implementing a vaccine mandate on private businesses altogether.
Anyone who wants to receive a vaccine should do so, but that is a personal healthcare decision. It is not an arena for mandates from the government, and I am deeply disappointed by President Biden's policies and lack of responsible, legitimate concerns surrounding them. I will continue to push against these overreaching mandates with all of us and will fight to protect the freedoms of the American people.
Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen).
Mr. ALLEN. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, Mr. Keller, for leading this important effort in letting the American people know that we are fighting for you.
As I said since day one, folks should consult with their doctor and get the vaccine if they are able. But instead of allowing local healthcare providers and communities to instill confidence in the vaccine, the Biden administration is choosing to push a top-down government mandate, which does not work and will never work.
It comes down to this: Workers across the country are facing the choice to get vaccinated or lose their job.
This is the epitome of government overreach. Every American has the right to earn a living.
While I believe this mandate is likely unconstitutional, I look forward to watching it continue moving through the courts.
It is also our duty as Members of Congress to fight this legislatively. That is why it is important to exercise our authority under the Congressional Review Act to nullify this rule.
I am proud to fight for over 80 million workers who will be impacted by this overreaching mandate by ensuring this rule has no force or effect.
Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin
(Mr. Grothman).
Mr. GROTHMAN. Madam Speaker, like all other Congressmen, I am sure, my office has received many calls from people objecting to the OSHA rules and the CMS rules related to employees of hospitals.
It amazes me, the number of articulate doctors and nurses and other employees out there who have good reasons not to take the vaccine. Whether their doctors have told them don't take it because you already have antibodies, you have too many antibodies, the vaccine is going to make you sick; whether it is doctors who tell their patients you better not take the vaccine, your cancer is in remission, the vaccine can weaken you and bring it back.
Again and again, it appalls me that doctor Biden decides to weigh in and knows better for these people than what their own doctors do, not to mention there are plenty of things on the internet--which may be true even though they try to take them down and keep us in the dark--
indicating that some very articulate people believe the vaccines are not for you anyway, and there are other ways to deal with the problem.
It is such a gross grab of power to think you can tell other people what they have to do with their own bodies. I sure hope America stands up and says no to this kind of hatred and arrogance.
Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Oklahoma
(Mr. Hern).
Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Keller) for hosting this Special Order this evening and for leading the charge on the Congressional Review Act.
President Biden is characterizing his agenda with three simple words: Build Back Better. More appropriately, it should be build back broke.
Our economy is in shambles, our supply chain strained to the breaking point, and inflation is out of control, and our friends across the aisle refuse to recognize that. At the heart of all these lies, lies a devastating labor shortage.
A few commonsense measures would address these problems to bring an end to the many crises, but President Biden instead chose to mandate vaccinations for workers, forcing small businesses to either fire their workers or face large fines.
Earlier today, OSHA announced that it will suspend enforcement of Biden's immoral and unconstitutional vaccine mandate after being blocked by the Fifth Circuit Court. Biden and his puppeteers knew that this mandate would likely not be held up in court but still went through with it anyway, proving their allegiance to the radical socialist mob rather than to the Constitution of these great United States.
To every American who raised your voice up and stood up to the gross Federal overreach, this victory is for you. I am proud to stand with my colleagues in opposition to this government overreach.
Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter).
Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
I rise today in opposition of the President's unconstitutional vaccine mandate.
Today, OSHA finally suspended enforcement of its vaccine mandate in response to the Fifth Circuit Court's ruling earlier this month. The only reason this happened is because Republicans and the people demanded that our rights be protected and used the power given to us by our Constitution to defend those rights.
And we can't stop now.
If these mandates are about public health, why do one-third of physicians disagree with them?
If these mandates are responding to an emergency, why do they not take effect until January 4?
If the mandates are based on science, why are we only looking at vaccine status and not natural immunity?
It is because Washington Democrats are trying to control you, not protect you.
Democratic leaders can't seem to follow their own rules and expectations. They party and gather with no masks, yet they expect their constituents to wear a mask at gatherings or even not gather at all.
President Biden, hypocrisy is not a viable COVID-19 mitigation strategy.
Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Carl).
Mr. CARL. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Pennsylvania for his leadership on this issue.
Madam Speaker, I rise to oppose President Biden's unconstitutional vaccine mandates on our businesses.
I believe this vaccine is effective. That is why I took it, and that is the reason my family has taken it. But I strongly believe getting the vaccine should be a personal choice, not a mandated choice.
The Federal Government has no right to mandate the vaccine on job creators or workers who are already struggling to recover from this pandemic and to get our supply chain back working properly again. The last thing they need right now is more government rules and regulations, and that is all we are seeing out of this administration.
The American people are fed up with it. They are fed up with Big Government overreach in our lives.
That is why I am proud to stand with so many of my colleagues to introduce this Congressional Review Act resolution, which would officially strike down President Biden's illegal vaccine mandate on our businesses.
We will continue doing all we can to fight back against President Biden's war on American workers, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand with us.
Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan
(Mr. Walberg).
{time} 1845
Mr. WALBERG. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Madam Speaker, today, we are here to take a stand against President Biden's unconstitutional vaccine mandate on private businesses and their employees. And in the end, I think it is clear that we need to make sure we understand this is unconstitutional, this goes against the American way and the American ideals.
By invoking the Congressional Review Act, we are taking an important step to protect the liberties of millions of Americans in the workforce, and more importantly, to protect American ideals and the freedoms that we expect.
In his first year as President, President Biden has led a lackluster economic recovery plagued by record inflation, supply chain backlogs, and workforce shortages. The President's coercive mandate will only worsen issues within the workforce as millions could face termination--
wrongly and unnecessarily.
I have heard from many constituents concerned about their livelihoods. Small businesses concerned about keeping their doors open. Rural healthcare providers concerned about meeting staffing demands and even staying in business. While I am encouraged to see the early court rulings on this issue, and OSHA's step to back up a little bit today, Congress must not stand on the sidelines.
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Pennsylvania for his leadership in introducing this legislation, and I am proud to be a cosponsor.
We have had enough topdown mandates.
Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx), a great mentor, an outstanding person, my good friend.
Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank him for leading this Special Order tonight.
Madam Speaker, the Biden administration's unprecedented OSHA vaccine mandate is a massive power grab. This national diktat was recently found likely to be unlawful by the Fifth Circuit and it stretches the power of the Federal Government beyond recognition. Requiring employers to be the vaccine and testing police and telling them who they can and cannot employ is a bridge too far.
Further, this mandate will crush businesses with exorbitant costs while exacerbating the worker shortage. Why would the Biden administration make this crisis worse? It is clear that the Biden administration is using this pandemic as an excuse to inflate the power of the Federal Government as far as possible. That is what we must resist.
To get our economy back on track, we don't need more crippling mandates and regulations, we need to support workers and job creators.
Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett), my friend and colleague.
Mr. BURCHETT. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania
(Mr. Keller), and thank him for his better-than-lackluster handling of this event tonight. It is much appreciated.
Madam Speaker, for the past several weeks, I have been coming down here to make the point over and over again that Joe Biden's vaccine mandate is ridiculous and unconstitutional. Many of my colleagues have done the same. We all agree that no American should lose their job for deciding not to take the coronavirus vaccine.
Today, our efforts paid off. Biden's Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced just a few hours ago that it is suspending plans to implement a vaccine mandate on large employers. The bureaucrats saw the writing on the wall after a court blocked the vaccine mandate last weekend.
The victory doesn't mean the fight is over. Joe Biden's administration will try again to punish Americans who decide not to take the shot. As a matter of fact, they are even advising some to just disregard the court order.
Madam Speaker, I appreciate Mr. Keller for leading this effort to overturn Biden's vaccine mandate. It is good to know we have this legislative measure ready to go if Biden launches another attack on unvaccinated Americans.
Madam Speaker, many Americans still have questions about the coronavirus vaccine. They should have the freedom to make the choice that is right for them without government threatening their jobs. Our country is a symbol of personal liberty and freedom, a government vaccine mandate is out of touch with these values.
We have a responsibility to preserve our Nation's values to protect our constituents from extreme government overreach.
Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman.
Madam Speaker, I yield to gentleman from Texas (Mr. Pfluger).
Mr. PFLUGER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania
(Mr. Keller), my colleague.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to shed light on the outrageous overreaching vaccine mandate that is devastating the lives of Americans, including those that I represent.
Everywhere I go in my district, I hear from workers across all sectors who are facing the prospect of being fired. And why? Simply because Joe Biden and the White House think that they know better, that they have made a different medical decision than the powers that be in the White House.
A few examples of calls that I have received just this week: A soon-
to-be-mother who doesn't want to take the vaccine until after she gives birth is facing termination. The countless healthcare workers who have sacrificed so much for the last year-and-a-half-plus to save the lives of all of us to be there to serve us, and now they are facing termination. A married couple recently moved to San Angelo during the pandemic in search of freedom and personal liberty that Texas so desperately promises the rest of the country. And now the husband, an Air Force veteran and a Border Patrol agent, faces termination due to President Biden's egregious Federal overreach.
It is about control. This is about control. This vaccine mandate is another example of Democrats' belief that the government should control every aspect of our lives.
America, wake up. The message is the same: That the President thinks he knows better for you than you know for yourself. We must strike down Biden's unconstitutional vaccine mandate now.
Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much for those remarks.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Moore).
Mr. MOORE of Utah. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Pennsylvania.
Madam Speaker, today, I stand in opposition to President Biden's vaccine mandate on businesses issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed that the Biden administration is severely misusing his power. While OSHA's delegated authority was intended to be used with precision and tact, President Biden has wielded it carelessly.
Just yesterday, in keeping with the Fifth Circuit's ruling, OSHA itself suspended implementation of this mandate. Even so, my colleagues and I in Congress know we, too, must fight against this mandate.
The COVID-19 vaccines are miracles of modern medicine and has saved lives and quickened the end of the pandemic.
My family has embraced it. I am comfortable with my parents having used this to live a more outward life, but we cannot forget that America is founded upon principles enshrined in our Constitution that protect an individual's ability to make their own decisions.
When I swore to uphold the Constitution, I promised to fight against efforts to undermine these rights, and I stand by that oath today.
Madam Speaker, I urge support for this CRA.
Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for those comments.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Estes), my good friend and colleague.
Mr. ESTES. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for hosting this Special Order.
Madam Speaker, following the Biden administration's overreaching mandates, hundreds of Kansans have shared their concerns with me about how this would affect their jobs, livelihoods, and families.
One vaccinated individual wrote saying, ``I would love for people to be vaccinated, but mandating a vaccination, and even worse, making the employers the enforcers, is yet another example of government pushing more onto the plates of business managers.''
Others tell me how they have been at the same company for decades, some near retirement and some who continue to work faithfully in person each day through the pandemic, especially our first responders and healthcare workers, yet they are being demoted or forced to retire or resign because they made some personal healthcare choices. One teacher wrote, ``My doctor and I discussed the vaccine and deemed it would not be good for me to get it.
Madam Speaker, these Kansans aren't anti-vaccine, they just don't believe that the Federal Government should be forcing them and their neighbors to make a healthcare decision or lose a job.
My colleagues and I are utilizing the Congressional Review Act to attempt to strike down one of these mandates, hopefully putting an end to this overreach by the administration and the Federal Government.
Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I thank the good gentleman from Kansas.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Smucker), my good friend and fellow Pennsylvanian.
Mr. SMUCKER. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Keller for his leadership on this issue. My wonderful colleague from Pennsylvania introduced the Congressional Review Act, and I rise today in strong support of this act, which would block President Biden's misguided and, frankly, I think unconstitutional mandate. I thank him for his efforts and I am very, very happy to be able to support that.
Madam Speaker, I will say first, that I think the U.S. and what we have accomplished in developing a vaccine through Operation Warp Speed was a remarkable achievement of science and of a system in our country that develops the best medical system and the best drugs from across the world. And to be able to do that in the amount of time that it was done and to manufacture those drugs in a large scale is nothing short of amazing.
Personally, for myself, my family, we have discussed this with our doctor. We got the vaccine early on when it became available. And I have encouraged Pennsylvanians to speak with their own doctors and make their own decisions about the direction they want to take. And many Pennsylvanians have, and I think Mr. Keller knows this as well.
We now are at over 70 percent of our Commonwealth vaccinated, which begs the question for me: What ever happened to herd immunity? What ever happened?
Every one of us were in the room early on during this vaccine when we heard from Dr. Fauci and heard from other experts who talked about herd immunity. And they were talking about herd immunity being achieved when about 70 percent--or even less after we learned that COVID was not as fatal as was originally feared. At that point, we could do away with government mandates--many that were unnecessary in the first place, by the way--but we could reopen the economy and could control COVID; 70 percent. We are there, but nobody is talking about it anymore. CDC doesn't talk about it. This administration doesn't talk about it. What happened?
Madam Speaker, so I agree, there has got to be something else going on. And other speakers tonight have talked about it. There has got to be something more, and I fear it is control. It is control that people want.
I think we should trust the science. I think you should listen to your medical professionals. Certainly, it shouldn't be government topdown mandates.
I hear from employers every day who are worried that this mandate will further harm their ability to hire and retrain staff. They are already having a lot of problems due to some of the policies of this administration, but this will make it a lot worse. And I also hear from employees every day that are worried that this mandate may threaten their jobs and may threaten their livelihoods.
I have been heartened that over half of States have sued the administration to reverse this mandate, and I have also joined with my Republican colleagues from Pennsylvania to call on our attorney general in our State to join that litigation.
Madam Speaker, I stand ready to oppose this mandate; do everything that I can to block this and any vaccine mandates that this White House puts forth.
Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Keller for his leadership.
Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa), my good friend.
Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman and appreciate him hosting this Special Order for us here tonight.
Madam Speaker, so what do we have? The Biden administration has been trying to keep their fingerprints off of it for a long time. They have been trying to let others do their dirty work; the airlines, the hospitals, forcing these vaccines on people. Why is that? They don't want to have their fingerprints on it.
So now they are getting impatient. You can go back and look at clips where they say, Oh, it is not the role of the Federal Government, by Jen Psaki, by others in the administration. It is not our job. We are not supposed to do this. Now they don't care. They are pushing forward.
So the Fifth Circuit came in and said, You are going overboard by getting OSHA to do the dirty work for you. They said it was
``staggeringly overbroad,'' and they told them take no steps to implement or enforce the mandate until further court order. It raises serious constitutional questions. It likely exceeds the Federal Government's authority.
So they have stepped out of line and they have been slapped back. It is amazing, because the people on the front lines this year-and-a-half our nurses, doctors, and others that are called the essential employees, have been playing good ball. Now, they are being told, Oh, that is not good enough anymore. You can't have your job anymore unless you take this vaccine.
Personal decisions. You can't undo a vaccine once you have had it taken. And so the aggressiveness of this administration towards people's personal decisions is just amazingly overbroad. I am really pleased we are doing this Congressional Review Act to nullify OSHA's mandate that has been, at least for a while, set aside by the Fifth Circuit Court and hopefully joined across the street by the Supreme Court.
Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for the time.
{time} 1900
Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the remarks from the gentleman of California and all the Members who stood here today. I thank my colleagues in both the House and the Senate for standing with the American people in opposition to this blatant overreach by President Biden.
Our Congressional Review Act resolution puts every Member of Congress on record. You are either for this blatant government overreach and control, or you are against it. You are either with this kind of control, or you are with the American people.
Well, I will tell you right now, my colleagues who spoke here today, the people who are helping with this Congressional Review Act, my colleagues in the Senate, we are with the people for whom we work. We are with the American people, saying they know best.
It is not government that runs things here in America. It is we the people. We stand with the people in opposing this overreach by the Biden administration.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from engaging in personalities toward the President and to direct their remarks to the Chair.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 200
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
House Representatives' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
Alerts Sign-up