Judge Blocks Vaccine Mandate For Health Workers In New York
The US District Court for the Northern District of New York temporarily halted Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s order for health professionals to obtain the COVID vaccination.
Health care workers in the state represented by the Thomas More Society sued the state for the vaccination mandate barring religious exemptions arguing that the Draconian order violates their Constitutional rights.
Thomas More Society Special Counsel Attorney Christopher Ferrara slammed the decision of New York as “a brazen power grab by people who think they can get away with anything.”
“What New York is attempting to do is slam shut an escape hatch from an unconstitutional vaccine mandate,” Ferrara said.
“They are doing this while knowing that many people have sincere religious objections to vaccines that were tested, developed, or produced with cell lines derived from aborted children,” he added.
Judge David Hurd in Utica has temporarily blocked the state of New York from forcing medical workers to be vaccinated after a group of health care workers sued, saying their Constitutional rights were violated. https://t.co/kU6FE8re6s
— FOX 7 Austin (@fox7austin) September 15, 2021
The legal counsel went on to slam the mainstream media for fueling hate against those they brand as “anti-vaxxers” — explaining that what the group opposes is the “coercion” being done by the state to push vaccination.
“These plaintiffs are not — I repeat — not anti-vaxxers, as the fake news media calls them,” Ferrara said. “They are in fact in favor of voluntary vaccination with informed consent, but they oppose jack-booted coercion by the state to take a vaccine their religion forbids them to take. This is America, not Red China.”
“Without court intervention these health professionals face loss of occupation, professional status, and employability anywhere in the state of New York. All because of an abortion-connected vaccine, one that they cannot take in good conscience,” the lawyer said before Judge David Hurd.
But following the decision of Judge Hurd to block the medical workers vaccine mandate in New York state, the Democratic governor of the state argued that forcing vaccination is “critical” to the state’s fight against Covid-19.
“Governor Hochul is doing everything in her power to protect New Yorkers and combat the Delta variant by increasing vaccine rates across the State,” commented Hazel Crampton-Hays, Hochul’s press secretary.
“Requiring vaccination of healthcare workers is critical to this battle,” she added.
Judge Hurd issued the order giving the Hochul administration “until September 22 to respond to the lawsuit in federal court in Utica,” according to ABC News, adding that “if the state opposes the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary court order blocking the vaccine mandate, a September 28 oral hearing will occur.”
It was embattled and now-resigned Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo who announced on August 16 that all healthcare workers in New York state — including staff in hospitals, long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, adult care facilities, be forced to get the Covid-19 shot.
His decision earlier triggered mass resignations of healthcare workers in the state.
Resignations over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's vaccine mandate have left an upstate New York hospital shorthanded and stopping the delivery of new of babies at its maternity ward. https://t.co/vQERSQZ19a
— Newsmax (@newsmax) September 12, 2021
Biden to the unvaccinated: “Our patience is wearing thin”
Last week, President Joe Biden also announced a mandate requiring all employers with more than 100 workers to require COVID-19 vaccinations for its employees or weekly tests for the coronavirus. This also includes all federal employees.
The tighter measures are seen to impact over 100 million Americans.
“This is not about freedom or personal choice,” Biden said on Thursday. “It’s about protecting yourself and those around you, the people you work with, the people you care about, the people you love. My job as president is to protect all Americans.”
“We’ve been patient but our patience is wearing thin and your refusal has cost all of us,” the Democratic president said in a direct warning to unvaccinated Americans.
NOW – "Our patience is wearing thin," warns Biden the unvaccinated.pic.twitter.com/ODIylWPfOG
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) September 9, 2021
But Biden’s announcement didn’t sit well for the majority of Americans who said in the poll following his speech about vaccine mandates that the chief executive has “no authority” to do so.
The survey conducted by the Convention of States Action found that only 29.7% of Americans think Biden is allowed to mandate employee vaccination, while 58.6% say the Democratic president has “no authority to do so.”
The poll also showed that an overwhelming number of Independent voters or 68.2% saying they don’t believe Biden has the constitutional authority to force private businesses to require vaccine mandates for employees.
“The numbers are clear, the American people passionately oppose Biden’s vaccine mandate, and will not tolerate a President elected by the people acting like a dictator or king. They know full well that this precedent will quickly lead to an end to our Republic and the beginning of an oppressive new tyranny,” commented Mark Meckler, President of Convention of States Action.
“Our citizens stand squarely with courageous, principled governors who know this isn’t about health, science, or compassion, it’s a naked political power grab,” he added.
