On Thursday (January 13), the US Supreme Court blocked President Joe Biden‘s plan to require most workers to be vaccinated or get tested weekly.
In a separate decision, however, the justices did uphold a smaller and more specific mandate to requires hospital workers and nursing facilities employees to be vaccinated. Once the ruling goes into effect, an estimated 17 million people will be impacted, according to a report by The Los Angeles Times.
The majority-Conservative court sided with Republican attorneys who said Biden’s vaccine mandate plan overstepped his authority as president by requiring all companies with more than 100 employees to enforce the vaccine mandate or undergo regular, weekly testing.
In the 6-3 vote, the justices said Biden’s plan, which was based on the Occupational Safety Health Act of 1970 –– the law that protects employees from workplace toxins and dangers –– was outside of the Act’s reach, since vaccinations aren’t covered in the law’s language.
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr and Justice Brett Kavanaugh sided with liberal justices in upholding the mandate for healthcare workers.
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