Court rehears fight over vaccine mandate for federal workers
The question of whether the Biden administration can require federal employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 has been argued in an appeals court in New Orleans for a second time
By KEVIN McGILL
Published - Sep 13, 2022, 11:58 AM ET
Last Updated - Jun 24, 2023, 10:58 AM EDT
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — President Joe Biden has the same authority to impose a COVID-19 vaccine requirement on federal workers that private employers have for their employees, an administration lawyer told a federal appeals court Tuesday.
Judges on the appeals court meanwhile questioned how far the chief executive's authority goes, asking, theoretically, whether the president could require employees to meet certain healthy body weights or forbid them from smoking at home.
It was the second time arguments on the issue were heard before the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. A three-judge panel of the same court had upheld the Biden requirement for executive branch workers, overturning the Texas judge.
