On February 16, 2022, the House Freedom Caucus posted a tweet calling on Senate Republicans to stand against all funding for the implementation of Wuhan virus vaccination mandates on American citizens.
In the tweet, the House Freedom Caucus noted, “🚨🚨🚨BREAKING: House Freedom Caucus sends letter urging Senate Republicans to oppose all funding for the enforcement of vaccine mandates on American Citizens.”
🚨🚨🚨BREAKING: House Freedom Caucus sends letter urging Senate Republicans to oppose all funding for the enforcement of vaccine mandates on American Citizens. #DefundVaxMandates pic.twitter.com/eMJ46vndSt
— House Freedom Caucus (@freedomcaucus) February 16, 2022
In a report by Sean Moran of Breitbart News, conservative leaders told the conservative outlet that they are calling on South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham to press Senate Republicans to hold a vote on measures to defund the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate policies.
Utah Senator Mike Lee, Kansas Senator Roger Marshall, Wyoming Cynthia Lummis, Indiana Senator Mike Braun, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, and Texas Senator Ted Cruz are the ones spearheading the campaign to defund Joe Biden’s vaccine mandates in the continuing resolution.
The conservatives have explicitly stated that they will not agree to hasten the passage of a continuing resolution that funds the federal government without a roll call vote on an amendment that cuts funding for the enforcement of the federal vaccine mandates that are still on the books.
Congress has to pass a CR or an additional spending bill prior to March 11 in order to keep the government up and running.
The Supreme Court previously blocked the OSHA vaccine mandate for large employers. That said, the federal government still has the power to enforce four other mandates — mandates that have been imposed on federal contractors, federal employees, medical workers, and military personnel.
While Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell stated that there is “no danger of a government shutdown” on the issue of vaccine mandates, there are still enough votes in the Senate to pass an amendment to the CR that would strip funding from the implementation of vaccine mandates.
Back in December, the Senate passed a congressional review act (CRA) that would have rescinded the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for private sector employers.
At the time, the CRA only required 50 yay votes, but still received 52 votes, with two Democrats — Montana Senator Jon Tester and West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin — joining Republicans in voting for the CRA.
Texas Congressman Chip Roy has taken up the mantle of fighting to defund the vaccine mandate in the US House. He declared on Twitter, “It is not enough to “process amendments,” @LeaderMcConnell. We expect you to get ALL 50 @SenateGOP present & voting to remove ALL COVID mandates, or vote no on funding enforcement of those mandates. You have the power to defend Americans. Use it. #DefundVaxMandates.”
The House Freedom Caucus’ statement read as follows:
We write to emphasize our continued objection to President Biden’s tyrannical COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
From the beginning, the House Freedom Caucus has fought against the un-American, job-killing pandemic policies that have undermined the liberty and livelihood of our citizens. For nearly two years, the American People have been the victims of draconian COVID-19 restrictions and mandates that have proven ineffective at mitigating the virus, but have fueled shocking increases in crime, suicide, overdoses, mental health issues, learning difficulties, poverty, and hunger. At long last, many state and local governments are beginning to abandon their tyrannical bureaucratic overreach; it’s time for the federal government to do the same.
This week, as the Senate considers legislation to extend government funding through March 11, 2022, we urge our colleagues to join us in opposing all funding for the enforcement of COVID-19 vaccine mandates on American Citizens.
Congress determines how Taxpayer dollars are spent through the “power of the purse” granted us in Article I of the Constitution. We must not abdicate to the Judicial branch our responsibility to decide the supposed constitutionality of the questions just to avoid taking difficult votes.
We owe the American People the certainty that the courts cannot provide. We also must defend them against losing their job or being forced to inject themselves. The question is simple: will we stand with the American People or won’t we?
We urge you – and all Senators – not to just seek to “process amendments,” but to seek the only resolution a free people deserve: defunding President Biden’s harmful vaccine mandates.
It’s time to act. The American People are depending on us.
The Senate Republicans added:
In addition to the lingering, harmful uncertainty faced by those subject to the four remaining COVID-19 mandates – specifically, those imposing vaccine requirements on medical workers, military personnel, federal employees, and federal contractors – the American people as a whole still face uncertainty as to whether President Biden has abandoned his desire to impose similar requirements on them.
We will continue to stand against these mandates until they are discontinued in ambition, design, and practice. For that reason, we are writing to let you know that we will not consent to a time agreement that eases passage of the Continuing Resolution (“CR”) now before the Senate absent an agreement to allow for a roll call vote on an amendment that defunds the enforcement of these vaccine mandates for the spending period covered by the CR.
The Senate Republicans declared in their concluding remarks:
Frederick Douglass correctly observed that “the limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.” As Members of Congress, we must not abdicate our Article I duties in hopes that the judicial branch will rule in favor of the American people, or that if left unaddressed by legislative action the problem before us will somehow dissipate. History will bear record of whether we chose to endure tyranny, or oppose it, in this pivotal moment. We invite you to stand with us and oppose the CR until it explicitly defunds the implementation and enforcement of these mandates.
At a minimum, we need to take a vote on this before funding their enforcement. The livelihoods and personal freedoms of millions of Americans are at stake.
Hopefully, other Republicans in the Senate start growing a pair and stand with working class Americans by defunding the COVID-1984 insanity. This nightmare chapter of American history must come to an end.
