Federal judge blocks Biden's healthcare worker vaccine mandate

A federal judge in Louisiana granted a preliminary injunction Tuesday to stop President Joe Biden's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers. 

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry (R) led a coalition of 14 states and filed the lawsuit against officials at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The goal was to fight the "rule requiring the COVID shot on nearly every full-time employee, part-time employee, volunteer, and contractor working at a wide range of healthcare facilities receiving Medicaid or Medicaid funding."

The Biden Administration has faced a long line of losses in court.

A judge in the Eastern District of Missouri also issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday against Biden's vaccine mandate for healthcare workers. A federal judge in February prevented Biden from enforcing a 100-day deportation moratorium. In June, Biden was prevented by a federal court from favoring minority farmers in a federal relief program.

Judge Terry Doughty, who issued the nationwide ruling, wrote that the case will "ultimately be decided by a higher court than this one," because "liberty interests of the unvaccinated requires nothing less." 

Landry said, "While Joe Biden villainizes our healthcare heroes with his 'jab or job' edicts, I will continue to stand up to the President's bully tactics and fight for liberty."

"While our fight is far from over, I am pleased the Court granted preliminary relief against the President’s unconstitutional and immoral attack on not only our healthcare workers but also the access to healthcare services for our poor and elderly," the attorney general said.

This case is State of Louisiana et al v. Xavier Becerra et al, No. 03970, in the U.S. District Court Western District of Louisiana.