WASHINGTON D.C., DC — Within minutes of the United States Supreme Court returning a decision that strikes down President Joe Biden's vaccine or test mandate for companies with more than 100 employees, notable Ohioans and organizations shared their reactions to the news.
While SCOTUS' ruled against the vaccine mandate for large businesses, the justices did agree to leave in place a mandate for most health workers in the U.S.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, who has been one of the loudest opponents when it comes to President Biden's proposed mandate, released the following statement Thursday afternoon in connection to the ruling:
“Americans have lost too much to this disease already – all of us want this pandemic to end – but it is critical that we do not lose our Constitution, too,” Yost said. “Today’s ruling protects our individual rights and states’ rights to pursue the solutions that work best for their citizens.”
Yost previously signed onto several lawsuits with other governors from around the country, claiming that the proposed mandates were unconstitutional.
Gov. Mike DeWine also released a statement, saying he was "pleased" with the court's ruling while reiterating his belief private businesses have a right to mandate the vaccines if they choose to do so.
The Ohio Christian Alliance also celebrated today's SCOTUS decision, thanking AG Yost for his work in stopping the mandate:
"Though today's Court decisions are good news for some, it is terrible news for those who work in healthcare. We congratulate Attorney General Dave Yost and his legal team as they successfully argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in defense of Ohio's businesses against the OSHA vaccine mandate of the Biden Administration. But today's decisions are bittersweet, as the decision on the HHS vaccine mandate will now go into effect with the 5-4 decision that will lift the lower court's stay on the mandate."
Dave Joyce, who represents Ohio's 14th congressional district, also thanked the nine Supreme Court justices for their ruling.
"This is good news for Ohio workers and job creators. It's not the role of the federal government to force private employers to police their employees’ vaccination status," Rep. Joyce tweeted Thursday afternoon.
Republican Rep. Bob Gibbs (OH-7) released the following statement to 3News late Thursday evening:
"The Supreme Court made the correct ruling on the OSHA mandate case. After months of saying he didn’t have the authority to implement federal vaccine mandates, Biden unleashed the bureaucracy’s lawyers on the United States Code in an attempt to find some half-baked justification for his clearly unconstitutional actions. This is a win not just for personal medical freedoms, but for those who believe the federal government has gotten too large and powerful in its regulatory authority.
"Hopefully, the impact of this ruling reaches far beyond the current situation and into every other instance of federal regulators exceeding their congressional mandate. I applaud the Supreme Court for recognizing an unconstitutional power grab for what it was and siding with the balance of powers between three equal branches of government. I will continue my efforts in Congress to rein in overzealous bureaucrats whose job is apparently to justify their existence."
MORE HEADLINES: