Biden vows Covid vaccine push after Supreme Court ruling on

The Supreme Court ruling that barred the Biden administration’s Covid vaccine mandate for employees of large employers will not prevent U.S. companies from requiring vaccinations for their workers.

President Joe Biden vowed Thursday to push for companies to do just that in order to save American lives and prevent even more financial fallout from the two-year coronavirus pandemic.

“The Court has ruled that my administration cannot use the authority granted to it by Congress to require this measure, but that does not stop me from using my voice as President to advocate for employers to do the right thing to protect Americans’ health and economy,” Biden said in a statement.

“I call on business leaders to immediately join those who have already stepped up – including one third of Fortune 100 companies – and institute vaccination requirements to protect their workers, customers, and communities,” Biden said.

The Supreme Court earlier Thursday blocked a rule issued in the fall by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that would have required companies with at least 100 employees to have workers either be vaccinated against Covid-19 or wear masks on the job and test negative for the virus at least once per week.

The high court in its decision said that while OSHA had power granted by Congress to regulate occupational dangers, the agency did not have the authorization “to regular public health more broadly.”

Kathryn Bakich, a senior vice president who focuses on workplace compliance issues for the employee benefits consulting firm Segal said, “Although the Supreme Court stayed the federal government’s OSHA rule, the ruling has no bearing on whether an individual employer can impose a vaccine mandate on its workforce.”

Bakich noted that the high court on the same day allowed a Biden administration mandate for vaccinations of millions of health-care workers at employers who treat patients covered by the massive federal Medicare and Medicaid health programs.

“Employers shouldn’t read into the decision a lack of support for vaccines, workplace vaccine requirements, or meaningful public health measures,” Bakich said.

The National Retail Foundation praised the ruling blocking the mandate on large companies as a “significant victory” for employers.

The NRF noted in a statement that it had joined with more than two dozen other trade associations to make oral arguments this week opposing the mandate, which it called “onerous and unprecedented.”

But the retail foundation also said it “has maintained a strong and consistent position related to the importance of vaccines in helping to overcome this pandemic.”

And, anticipating Biden’s later statement on the ruling, the NRF said it…