White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said Sunday that he doesn't think a federal court's decision to temporarily halt President Joe Biden administration's workplace COVID vaccine mandate will have "much practical effect in the short run."
During an interview on NBC News' Meet the Press Sunday, Klain said the mandate will be "well litigated well before January 3," a day before the policy is slated to take effect.
"Look, these vaccine requirements have been litigated up and down the courts all over the country, state requirements, for example, one in Maine," Klain said.
"And every single court before this one ruled that they were valid. The Supreme Court has turned back several times already various efforts to enjoin other vaccine requirements. I'm quite confident that when this finally gets fully adjudicated, not just a temporary order, the validity of this requirement will be upheld," Biden's chief of staff added.
Under the now-frozen vaccine requirements issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), workers at businesses with at least 100 employees would have to be vaccinated against COVID by January 4 or wear masks and undergo weekly tests.
WATCH: As courts freeze President Biden's vaccine mandate, White House Chief of Staff @RonaldKlain says he's "confident" mandates will be upheld.
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) November 7, 2021
"Every single court before this one ruled they were valid." pic.twitter.com/Zl2pN8resy
On Saturday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit stayed the mandate, citing "grave statutory and constitutional issues," after more than two dozen states filed lawsuits challenging the requirements.
The largely Republican-led states opposing the mandate in court include Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.
Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Utah, Kansas, Kentucky, Idaho, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia, Alabama, Florida and Georgia are also challenging the vaccine rules.
Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton praised the court's ruling on Saturday.
"Yesterday, I sued the Biden Admin over its unlawful OSHA vax mandate. WE WON. Just this morning, citing 'grave statutory and constitutional issues,' the 5th Circuit stayed the mandate," Paxton tweeted.
"The fight is not over and I will never stop resisting this Admin's unconstitutional overreach!"
During his Meet the Press interview, Klain said that the Biden administration's workplace vaccine requirement is "common sense."
"If OSHA can tell people to wear a hard hat on the job, to be careful with chemicals, it can put in place these simple measures to keep our workers safe," he explained.
Biden first announced that he would be issuing sweeping vaccine mandates in September, stating that all workers at large employers, as well as federal contractors, would be subject to vaccine requirements.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Xander Landen is a Newsweek weekend reporter. His focus is often U.S. politics, but he frequently covers other issues including ... Read more
