OSHA suspends vaccine mandate following appeals court ruling

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration Wednesday suspended its enforcement of President Biden's vaccine mandate for businesses with more than 100 employees.

According to The Hill, OSHA's suspension comes amid pending litigation following an appeals court's decision to issue a temporary injunction.

"The court ordered that OSHA 'take no steps to implement or enforce' the ETS [Emergency Temporary Standard] 'until further court order.' While OSHA remains confident in its authority to protect workers in emergencies, OSHA has suspended activities related to the implementation and enforcement of the ETS pending future developments in the litigation,” OSHA said in a statement.

Biden announced in September his new vaccine mandate for large businesses, saying Americans were "losing patience" with those who remain unvaccinated. 

OSHA set a deadline earlier this month for Jan. 4 for all large private employers to begin enforcing its mandate.

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling last week in which it called Biden's mandate "fatally flawed."

More than two dozen Republican state attorneys general filed a lawsuit challenging the mandate which lead to the appeals court's ruling.

Despite OSHA's suspension, the White House is still urging businesses to require their employees to be vaccinated.

"We think people should not wait. We say: Do not wait to take actions that will keep your workplace safe. It is important and critical to do and waiting to get more people vaccinated will lead to more outbreaks and sickness," said White House deputy press secretary Karinne Jean-Pierre.

"We’re trying to get past this pandemic, and we know the way to do that is to get people vaccinated."