ATLANTA — A federal judge in Georgia blocked the Biden administration from enforcing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees of federal contractors.
U.S. District Judge R. Stan Baker issued the decision Tuesday following a lawsuit from several contractors and states, including Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, South Carolina, Utah and West Virginia.
“The Court acknowledges the tragic toll that the COVID-19 pandemic has wrought throughout the nation and the globe,” Judge Baker wrote. “However, even in times of crisis this Court must preserve the rule of law and ensure that all branches of government act within the bounds of their constitutionally granted authorities.”
Biden's order, issued on Sept. 9, required federal contractors and subcontractors to comply with new "workplace safety guidelines" developed by a federal task force. The guidelines require employees to be fully vaccinated by Jan. 18.
Limited exceptions were made for those who had medical or religious reasons for not getting vaccinated; however, the requirement applied to millions of employees, as well as defense contractors and those who work for airlines.
With Tuesday’s ruling, all three of Biden’s vaccine mandates affecting the private sector have been put on hold. Judges previously blocked mandates regarding one that applied to businesses with 100 or more employees and another for health care workers across the country.
The Biden administration also imposed vaccine requirements for employees of the federal government and the military, as part of its strategy to stop the spread of COVID-19.