Press Releases

Today, Civil Rights and Human Services Subcommittee Republican Leader Russ Fulcher (R-ID) delivered the following remarks, as prepared for delivery, at a joint subcommittee hearing on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) likely unlawful federal vaccine mandate: 

"There’s no way around it. President Biden’s vaccine mandate is bad for workers, it's bad for business, and it's bad for the economy. It is also an affront to the personal liberties Americans hold dear. 

"A major labor shortage is already contributing to a supply chain backup. In response to similar state and federal mandates, many private companies have begun firing workers who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine. 

"This federal vaccine mandate will worsen the supply chain crisis, almost guaranteeing Americans will go without this Christmas. 

"Current government mandates have created chaos at airports, weakened police forces, and put our health care system in jeopardy. 

"In September, a hospital in upstate New York was so understaffed after unvaccinated medical personnel resigned that the hospital was forced to stop delivering babies. Yet babies come when it’s time for them to, whether there's a staffing shortage or not. 

"These problems will only worsen once President Biden’s OSHA vaccine and testing mandate is issued. 

"We can’t afford to lose more workers. This coercive government mandate will compound the crises facing our nation. 

"Instead of empowering American workers and job creators, my friends on the other side of the aisle are forcing main street to fire workers. This is the surest way to hurt our economy.  

"This ill-advised decree will create substantial uncertainty, costs, and liabilities. The last thing main street needs is another unfunded mandate dictated from Washington. 

"Harsh fines for violating President Biden’s mandate could also decimate small businesses. 

"This is not building back better. It’s crushing the job creators and American workers under the heavy hand of government intervention."