Kemp And GOP Governors Sue President Biden Over Vaccine Mandate For Federal Workers

ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp is leading the pack of Republican governors suing President Joe Biden over COVID-19 vaccination mandates for federal workers.

Kemp and Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr are joined by governors from South Carolina, Utah, Kansas, Alabama, Idaho, and West Virginia in a federal lawsuit aimed at reversing the president’s executive order requiring vaccines for all federal employees and contractors. Kemp claims the mandate places state agencies including the University System of Georgia and the Georgia Department of Agriculture “in an untenable situation.”

“In addition to being an unlawful and unconstitutional overreach, this vaccine mandate on federal contractors will only further divide Americans and hamstring our economy,” Kemp said in a statement.

“We will challenge this heavy-handed directive that not only serves as a clear violation of law but also places immense burden on our state,” Carr said in a statement.

State Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black echoed Kemp’s concerns about the vaccine mandate’s impact to the department he oversees.

“We have deep concerns about this mandate because of facilities we share with other state agencies named in this lawsuit,” said Black, who is also running for U.S. Senate.