BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The United States Supreme Court will hold a special hearing January 7th regarding President Joe Biden's vaccine mandate for federal workers. The Supreme Court will hear arguments on if the president has the power to issue this mandate.
"The Supreme Court is not deciding whether the mandate itself should or should not be in place. They’re not addressing whether or not it’s necessary because of COVID. What they’re addressing is a very narrow question of who has the power to do this," Florina Altshiler, a legal expert, said.
This hearing will have no impact on state vaccine mandates.
"It won’t because that’s not a question the Supreme Court is going to be looking at. They’re not addressing whether the state has the power to do this. They have in the past. They’ve made decisions that said that state vaccine mandates, under those specific provisions, are allowed," Altshiler said.
The Supreme Court addressed New York's vaccine mandate two weeks ago. The Court upheld New York's vaccine mandate that does not offer religious exemptions.
"The fact that the court has already determined that New York’s vaccine mandate is fine and appropriate and has not been been rejected… whatever the decision is on these federal mandates is not at all going to affect New York’s mandate," Altshiler said.
So who will be affected by the Supreme Court's decision regarding the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate?
"Federal employees and employees who have contracts with the federal government in companies with over 100 employees," Altshiler said.
