NEBRASKA, January 14 - Media Contacts:  

Alex Reuss, 402-471-1970

Justin Pinkerman, 402-471-1967

Media Release:

Gov. Ricketts: Supreme Court Right to Strike Down Pres. Biden’s Overreaching OSHA Vaccine Mandate

LINCOLN – Today, Governor Pete Ricketts issued a statement following news that the United States Supreme Court has blocked the Biden-Harris Administration’s vaccine mandate for private employers of 100 or more workers.

“The Biden Administration’s OSHA vaccine mandate for private employers was illegal and authoritarian,” said Gov. Ricketts.  “The Supreme Court has rightly struck down this stunning overreach of federal power.  Letting the mandate stand would have created a dangerous precedent.  Any future administration could then declare an emergency, publish OSHA rules, and force private businesses to enact federal policies.  Thank you to Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson and his team for helping block this overreaching mandate.”

The Governor also commented on the Court’s 5-4 decision to uphold the federal vaccine mandate for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) healthcare workers.

“At a time when the State of California is telling infected healthcare workers to care for patients, it defies logic to force unvaccinated doctors and nurses to get COVID-19 shots.  Especially when many of these medical professionals can prove they have developed a degree of natural immunity to the coronavirus.  The Court’s narrow ruling on the mandate for CMS healthcare workers is disappointing for thousands of women and men who’ve heroically served on the frontlines of the pandemic for nearly two years.  I encourage anyone who has not gotten the vaccine for religious or medical reasons to seek an exemption.”