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Apr 8, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Appeals court reinstates Biden's vaccine mandate for federal employees

Erin Doherty
A resident receives a Covid-19 booster shot at a vaccine clinic inside Trinity Evangelic Lutheran Church in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, U.S, on Tuesday, Apr. 5, 2022.

A person receives a COVID-19 booster shot at a vaccine clinic in Lansdale, Pa., on April 5. Photo: Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images

A federal appeals court on Thursday revived President Biden's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal executive branch employees.

Driving the news: The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a federal judge in Texas lacked jurisdiction to block the Biden administration from enforcing the mandate, according to court filings.

  • "The plaintiffs' claim for preliminary injunction relief fails because they have not shown a substantial likelihood of success on the merits," the majority on the 5th Circuit wrote.
  • "We do not reach the parties' arguments regarding the other requirements for a preliminary injunction."

The big picture: Biden in September announced that the vast majority of federal workers had to be vaccinated or they would face fines.

  • In January, a federal judge in Texas blocked the Biden administration from enforcing its vaccine mandate for federal workers, citing the outcome of a Supreme Court ruling that nullified the administration's vaccine or test requirement for large employers.

Go deeper: Federal judge blocks Biden's vaccine mandate for federal workers

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