The Supreme Court Got it Right

The U.S. Supreme Court recently struck down President Biden's and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) vaccine mandate on private businesses with over 100 employees. This important decision protects the rights of private enterprise and roughly 84 million Americans from government overreach. The Supreme Court serves as a check and balance on both the Executive and the Legislative branches, and, in this case, the Court demonstrated its power to protect the American people from the President's desire for more control over our lives. In a time when many employers are struggling to find workers, it is short sighted to compel businesses to force employees to choose between their personal health care decisions and their jobs. Now, businesses and employees may focus on generating revenue, providing good jobs for their communities, and contributing to the American economy.

As pleased as I am with the Supreme Court's decision in the OSHA case, and I am thankful for the appointment of three conservative judges to the Court by former President Trump, I'm disappointed that it upheld the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) rule requiring Medicare and Medicaid health care workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. I have heard from many local, rural health care providers who fear that the CMS mandate will lead to fewer nurses, technicians, medical assistants, and others who are integral to the proper functioning of our hospitals and clinics across the Fourth District. In rural areas especially, health care access is already rationed, and Americans have to travel too far to get quality care. While I respect the Supreme Court's role in interpreting the law and deciding whether federal agencies have the legal authority to make the rules they do, I fear that the CMS rule will harm rural America.

As I've said many times over the past year, I'm vaccinated and I'm proud those vaccines are widely available thanks to Operation Warp Speed. However, I will continue to oppose one-size-fits-all federal mandates that harm American families, like the OSHA mandate would have and the CMS mandate will. I hope that going forward, this Administration will trust the American people more and forego its apparent need to control every part of our lives.