The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has suspended enforcement of its national vaccine mandate imposed on individuals working at companies with 100 people or more.
OSHA stated the following in a recent notice published on its website:
“On November 12, 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a motion to stay OSHA’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard, published on November 5, 2021 (86 Fed. Reg. 61402) (‘ETS’). The court ordered that OSHA ‘take no steps to implement or enforce’ the ETS ‘until further court order.’
“While OSHA remains confident in its authority to protect workers in emergencies, OSHA has suspended activities related to the implementation and enforcement of the ETS pending future developments in the litigation.”
The 5th Circuit opinion, cited by OSHA as its reason for the mandate’s suspension, said the agency’s policy is “fatally flawed.”
“The Mandate’s stated impetus—a purported ‘emergency’ that the entire globe has now endured for nearly two years, and which OSHA itself spent nearly two months responding to—is unavailing as well. And its promulgation grossly exceeds OSHA’s statutory authority,” the court added.
“The Mandate threatens to substantially burden the liberty interests of reluctant individual recipients put to a choice between their job(s) and their jab(s).”
There have been 27 lawsuits filed by various companies, religious organizations, media outlets and states since the announcement of the mandate. A suit has been filed all 12 federal circuit courts of appeals.
In order to streamline the legal proceedings, these various lawsuits have all been consolidated and assigned to the 6th Circuit to review. The 6th Circuit is widely viewed as one of the more conservative courts in the country.
Focus on the Family has not taken an official position on whether an individual should receive one of the available COVID-19 vaccines. However, Focus President Jim Daly interviewed two infectious disease specialists on the Daily Broadcast to help inform listeners about them.
Following the announcement of OSHA’s proposed mandate, Daly told Focus employees, “As a ministry, we have deep concerns with what has been reported regarding this proposed policy.”
Related articles:
OSHA Announces Vaccine Mandate Affecting 84 Million Workers; First Legal Challenge Filed
Federal Appeals Court Blocks OSHA Vaccine Mandate, Cites ‘Grave’ Constitutional Issues
Federal Appeals Court Slams OSHA Vaccination Mandate as ‘Fatally Flawed,’ Blocks It for Now
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