Two Democrats, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Jon Tester of Montana, joined 50 Republicans in the Senate on Wednesday to reject President Joe Biden’s vaccine or test mandate for businesses with over 100 employees.

The Democrat-led House, however, is not likely to take up the issue. If it did reach Biden, he would veto the decision.

The Biden mandate required businesses with over 100 employees to either vaccinate their staff or test them weekly in a measure meant to fight the spread of COVID-19 and its variants.

Many view a federal vaccine mandate as government overreach and an issue that states should decide while taking into consideration their conditions, including Manchin. He co-sponsored the bill to oppose the mandate, but clarified that he got fully vaccinated along with a booster shot and he strongly encourages people to get vaccinated.

Centrist Democratic US Senator Joe Manchin (from the coal-producing state of West Virginia) killed a program of incentives and penalties within the bill to push fossil fuel burning utilities toward cleaner energy
Centrist Democratic US Senator Joe Manchin joined several automakers in opposing a provision in the "Build Back Better" Act that would provide $4,500 in tax credit for union-made EVs. AFP / Mandel NGAN

“I do not support any government mandate for private businesses. It is not the place of the federal government to tell private business owners how to protect their employees from COVID-19 and operate their businesses," Manchin said in a statement. "We should incentivize, not penalize, private employers, to encourage vaccination among their employees.”

Jon Tester
Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), listens to testimony during a Senate Homeland Security hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., April 10, 2013. Getty Images/ Mark Wilson

Tester went on Fox News with Neil Cavuto to say he believes a mandate for healthcare workers is “common sense," but not for businesses.

"I’ve heard a lot from my businesses in the state of Montana, and they’ve told me that, you know, it’s put them in a heck of a bind and so I think they should have some relief," Tester said.

Ten states sued the Biden administration to block a mandate for healthcare workers in their states, which succeeded. A judge also halted Biden’s mandate that applies to federal contractors.

RELATED STORIES