WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sept. 15, 2021) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, sent a letter yesterday to Labor Secretary Marty Walsh regarding President Biden’s recent rule that requires all companies with 100 or more employees get their employees vaccinated, tested, or fired.
The letter can be found here and excerpts are below:
“On September 9, 2021, President Biden announced in a speech on COVID-19 that “the Department of Labor is developing an emergency rule to require all employers with 100 or more employees, that together employ over 80 million workers, to ensure their workforces are fully vaccinated or show a negative test at least once a week.”
“The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) objects strongly to the federal government’s commandeering of America’s small and independent businesses to serve as the government’s instruments of coercion against their own employees.”
“The Biden Administration in essence threatens America’s small and independent business owners with large fines, and even imprisonment for up to six months, unless the business gets its employees vaccinated, tested, or fired. If the Administration wants to command 80 million Americans, who do not wish to get vaccinated, to get vaccinated or tested weekly, the President should ask Congress to enact legislation issuing that command. Then the American people could hold the President, Senators, and Representatives accountable at the ballot box for how they voted on such legislation. That is the democratic way.”
“Small businesses and their employees, like all Americans, look forward to the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and the government regulation associated with the pandemic. NFIB recognizes the duty of governments to help protect the safety and health of the people, but NFIB also recognizes the duty of governments to help preserve the liberties of the people, even in difficult situations. NFIB expects the government to do its best to help keep America both healthy and free.”
