Florida sues Biden administration over vaccine requirement for federal contractors

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging the Biden administration's order requiring federal contractors to provide proof of vaccination by Dec. 8.

According to The Hill, the lawsuit is the latest in a series of Republican attacks against President Biden's response to the COVID-19 pandemic

The lawsuit seeks to have a federal judge issue a national preliminary injunction to prevent the vaccine mandate from taking effect.

In the lawsuit obtained by Just the News, DeSantis calls Biden's vaccine mandate a "radical intrusion on the personal autonomy of American workers," while alleging that the "federal government is exceeding their power."

The mandate is set to take effect on Dec. 8, requiring contractors to get vaccinated or face termination. The mandate also doesn't provide testing for immunity as an alternative to getting vaccinated.

"It’s important for us to take a stand," DeSantis said in a statement. "Tossing people aside is just not something we can tolerate here in the state of Florida, so we are going to do everything we can."

This is the latest action by DeSantis—who is seen as a potential 2024 presidential contender—challenging vaccine mandates. Last week, his office announced penalties for any Florida county that imposes a vaccine requirement on its workers.

"If you don't comply, you either have to fire people, or ... they'll just cancel the contract entirely, even if this is something you bid for and you won fair and square. We don't think they have the authority to do that," DeSantis said during a press conference.

The Hill notes that in most cases judges have sided either with the government or individual companies who are requiring their workers to be vaccinated.