The Supreme Court blocked the Biden administration from enforcing its vaccine mandate for large private companies.
However, the court will allow similar mandates for medical workers if the facility takes Medicare of Medicaid payments.
Important to note: Breyer, Sotomayor, & Kagan dissented from the decision to block the vax-or-test rule for workplaces of 100 or more employees.
While Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch & Barrett dissent from the decision to allow the health care vaccine mandate to take effect nationwide.(Note: Justice Roberts siding with the liberals here).
On the workplace vaccine mandate, the majority wrote in the 6-3 ruling:
"The Secretary has ordered 84 million Americans to either obtain a COVID–19 vaccine or undergo weekly medical testing at their own expense. This is no 'everyday exercise of federal power’...
Although COVID– 19 is a risk that occurs in many workplaces, it is not an occupational hazard in most. COVID–19 can and does spread at home, in schools, during sporting events, and everywhere else that people gather. That kind of universal risk is no Cite as: 595 U. S. ____ (2022) 7 Per Curiam different from the day-to-day dangers that all face from crime, air pollution, or any number of communicable diseases. Permitting OSHA to regulate the hazards of daily life—simply because most Americans have jobs and face those same risks while on the clock—would significantly expand OSHA’s regulatory authority without clear congressional authorization.”
More on the health care mandate being upheld and dissenting opinion from Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, & Barrett on that.
The Babylon Bee spot on: