Biden administration asks court to allow vaccine mandate

By GEOFF MULVIHILL
Associated Press

The Biden administration is asking a federal court to let it move ahead with a workplace rule that would require employees at larger companies to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or face weekly testing. The mandate is a centerpiece of the administration’s efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 as concerns grow that the nation is on the cusp of another winter surge in virus cases and hospitalizations. Republican state attorneys general, conservative organizations and some businesses argued that the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration lacked the authority to mandate vaccines. They were able to persuade a separate federal court to issue a stay of the workplace rule.