Arkansas Gov. Asa HutchinsonAsa HutchinsonTexas law opens door for other states to pursue abortion restrictions Three-quarters of ICU beds across country are full No more ICU beds in Arkansas for COVID-19 patients, governor says MORE (R), who chairs the National Governors Association, pushed back on President Biden
Joe BidenBiden administration readies lawsuit over Texas abortion law: Report Police expect Capitol fencing reinstalled for Sept. 18 rally Elder warns of ‘shenanigans’ in California recall election MORE‘s vaccine mandate for businesses with more than 100 employees on Thursday.
Biden announced Thursday he would be requiring all private businesses that have more than 100 employees to have their employees either get the coronavirus vaccine or get tested weekly.
“I fully support continued efforts to increase vaccination rates across our nation, but the federal government mandates on private businesses are not the right answer,” Hutchinson said in a statement.
In response to President Biden’s Covid-19 action plan: pic.twitter.com/550XsT704V
— Gov. Asa Hutchinson (@AsaHutchinson) September 9, 2021
Hutchinson has been traveling around Arkansas promoting the coronavirus vaccine as the delta variant has greatly affected the state whose vaccination rates remain low.
Hutchinson, unlike some other Republican governors, has allowed employers to implement vaccine and mask mandates in their businesses if they find it necessary.
“I have been consistent in freedom of businesses to require their employees to be vaccinated, and I have opposed the government from saying businesses cannot exercise that freedom,” Hutchinson said.
“The same principle should protect the private sector from government overreach that requires them to vaccinate all employees,” he added.
Biden received immediate backlash after revealing his plan to mandate vaccines on private employers, with multiple Republican governors saying they will take the mandate to court.