WASHINGTON, Jan 7, Reuters - The U.S. Supreme Court is about to consider requests by Republican state officials and business groups to block President Joe Biden's vaccine mandate for employers with more than 100 workers, and a similar requirement for healthcare facilities at a time of increasing COVID- 19 cases nationwide.
The nine justices are expected to hear at least two hours of arguments beginning at 10 a.m. EST 1500 GMT in two cases, at: www.reuters.com. com world us Pandemic-wary US-supreme court-weigh biden-vaccine mandates - 2022 -- 01 05, present a test of presidential powers to combat a public health crisis that has left more than 830,000 Americans dead.
The White House is at the site: www.whitehouse.com. The gov briefing room statements-releases 2021 11 04 fact-sheet biden-administration- announcements-details-of-two major vaccine mandates have said that the two temporary mandates will save lives and strengthen the U.S. economy by increasing the number of vaccinated Americans by the millions.
The challengers have argued that the federal government exceeded its authority by imposing requirements not specifically authorized by Congress and failing to follow the proper administrative processes for issuing emergency regulations.
The court's 6 -- 3 conservative majority in the past has skepticism toward sweeping actions by federal agencies.
Under one of the policies, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA required that workers at businesses with 100 or more employees be vaccinated or tested weekly, a policy that applies to more than 80 million workers nationwide.
The National Federation of Independent Business and the state of Ohio are taking the lead in trying to block that mandate. Religious groups including the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary challenge the policy in separate cases.
Under the second policy under review by the Supreme Court, vaccination is required for an estimated 10.3 million workers at approximately 76,000 healthcare facilities, including hospitals and nursing homes, that participate in Medicare and Medicaid government health insurance programs for elderly, disabled and low-income Americans.
The Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services said the rule was issued by the Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services, the federal agency responsible for administering the two programs. The states of Louisiana and Missouri are taking the lead in the arguments before the justices are seeking an order blocking it.
The Supreme Court has dealt with several pandemic-related cases and rejected religious-based challenges to state vaccine requirements. The cases for the first time were a test of the authority of the federal government to issue vaccine mandates.
The court has backed https: www.reuters.com in other pandemic related cases. com legal government us-supreme courts-shadowed religion-trump 2021 -- 07 -- 28 religious challenges to certain restrictions and ended https: www.reuters. The federal government's residential eviction moratorium, originally imposed under former President Donald Trump, is a federal-residential eviction moratorium imposed by the federal government in 2021 -- 08 -- 27.
As in many countries, vaccination has become a divisive issue in the United States, with some people adamantly oppose and many Republicans opposing mandates imposed by governments and businesses. The United States and countries around the world are facing an increase in COVID 19 cases due to the Omicron coronaviruses variant.
Biden's administration is asking the justices to lift orders by federal judges in Missouri and Louisiana to block the healthcare worker mandate in half of the 50 states while litigation on the legal merits of the policy continues.
The Circuit Court of Appeals on December 17 lifted an injunction issued by another court that had blocked the OSHA rule regarding large businesses, prompting challengers to ask the Supreme Court to intervene.
Biden argues that Congress gave federal agencies broad leeway to require employers to protect workers and Medicare and Medicaid patients from health and safety hazards.
Decisions in both cases are expected to be made quickly, with the administration's deadlines for compliance looming.
The nine justices spent most of the pandemic working remotely but returned to in-person arguments in October. The court said that nine of them are fully vaccinated.