Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 22, 2025

White House Defends US Vaccine Mandate Against Court Challenge

White House Defends US Vaccine Mandate Against Court Challenge

The US vaccine mandate is designed to push millions of workers at businesses with more than 100 employees into getting Covid-19 shots or submit to weekly testing.

US President Joe Biden's administration on Sunday issued a vocal defense of a controversial Covid-19 vaccine mandate for large companies despite a court challenge that temporarily freezes the program.

"The president and the administration wouldn't have put these requirements in place if they didn't think they were appropriate and necessary," Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said on ABC talk show "This Week."

"The administration is certainly prepared to defend them."

And White House chief of staff Ron Klain, citing earlier court rulings that upheld state-level mandates, said he was "quite confident" that the mandate would ultimately be upheld.

"It's common sense," he told NBC's "Meet the Press."

The federal mandate, designed to push millions of workers at businesses with more than 100 employees into getting Covid-19 shots -- or submit to weekly testing -- is key to administration efforts to bring the coronavirus pandemic under control.

But on Saturday, the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit said several petitioners opposing the mandate had raised "grave statutory and constitutional issues." It granted a temporary stay.

Petitioners -- including five conservative US states as well as several private employers and religious groups -- have questioned the federal government's authority to issue such a nationwide order.

Murthy, in defending it, cited a long history of such requirements -- going back to George Washington requiring his troops to be inoculated against smallpox -- and said that with the country still seeing 75,000 Covid cases a day, "it's important to take every measure possible to make our workplaces safer."

And with the new mandate not set to take effect until January, Klain expressed confidence courts would by then uphold it.

The traditionally conservative Fifth Circuit court, based in New Orleans, Louisiana, ordered the government to reply to petitioners' motion for a permanent injunction by Monday evening.

Senior Biden advisor Cedric Richmond said he was "absolutely" convinced the new rule would survive judicial scrutiny.

"We're very confident we're on statutory and legal grounds," he told CBS. "This is about keeping Americans safe."

Should the suspension be upheld it would represent a major setback to one of Biden's most far-reaching efforts to secure the immunization of American workers, amid predictions of a Covid-19 winter resurgence.

Around 58 percent of the total US population was fully vaccinated as of early November, up from half in August as state, local and company mandates were announced.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Black Box Recovered from Air India Crash Site
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Global News Roundup: From Ukraine's strategic military strikes and Russia's demands and Tensions Escalate in Ukraine, to serious legal issues faced by Britons in Bali and Trump's media criticism, the latest developments highlight a turbulent landscape
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
×