Governor Reeves responds: “It is a tyrannical move, Mr. President.”
President Joe Biden says he is receiving pushing back against his federal vaccine mandates from states, particularly those with Republican Governors like in Mississippi, Florida and Texas. He says they are “undermining the lifesaving requirements” he proposed.
Last week, Biden announced that he is instructing the Department of Labor to require all employers with one hundred or more employees to ensure their workforce is fully vaccinated or show a negative test at least once a week. Biden talked about a “distinct minority of elected officials” who have resisted masks and vaccine mandates on freedom-of-choice and economic grounds. Biden stated that they are “making people sick.”
In his remarks this week, President Biden said Mississippi has one of the strictest vaccination requirements for K-12 students in the country.
“But in the midst of a pandemic that has already taken over 660,000 lives, I propose requirement for COVID vaccines and the Governor of that state calls it quote ‘a tyrannical type move,'” Biden said. “This is the worst kind of politics because it’s putting the lives of citizens of their states, especially children, at risk, and I refuse to give into to it.”
Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson of Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District tweeted his support for Biden’s vaccine mandate and his singling out Governor Reeves.
“I applaud POTUS for singling out Tate Reeves on his poor leadership. Listen to those who care about saving American lives and disregard the nonsense. #Getvaccinated,” Thompson tweeted.
Governor Reeves wasted little time in responding to President Biden’s remarks, reiterating that it was a “tyrannical move” and stating the difference between laws passed by a state’s legislative body – such as in Mississippi regarding the vaccine requirements for students – versus one man – President Biden – threatening American workers’ ability to feed their family, potentially losing their job if they do not comply with the federal vaccine mandates.
“If you can’t comprehend that,” Governor Reeves tells President Biden, “you’re in the wrong job – or the wrong country!”
It is a tyrannical move, Mr. President.
Huge difference between laws passed by a state's legislative body with input of the people vs. one man threatening American workers' ability to feed their family. If you can't comprehend that, you're in the wrong job-or the wrong country! pic.twitter.com/oyoxdxLBhl
— Governor Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) September 16, 2021
On Thursday, 24 attorneys general from across the country, including Lynn Fitch in Mississippi, wrote a letter to President Biden expressing their strong opposition to his announced plans to institute federal vaccine mandates that are expected to impact nearly 100 million Americans.
“Forcing Americans to be vaccinated or face job loss is the sort of heavy-handed, government-knows-best approach we have come to expect from this Administration,” said Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “I encourage people to be vaccinated, but they need to decide for themselves when they are ready. They do not need the White House to decide for them.”
Attorney General Fitch and her colleagues made clear in the letter that they will go to court to stop unconstitutional mandates.
Governor Reeves held a press conference last Friday to address President Biden’s vaccine mandates. The Governor said the President has no authority to require that Americans inject themselves because of their employment at a private business. Reeves says he believes the vaccine itself is life-saving and has encouraged Mississippians to consult their doctor and get vaccinated if able, but Reeves says the unconstitutional move by Biden is terrifying.
“This is still America, and we still believe in freedom from tyrants,” Reeves expressed.
Frank Corder
