As the Omnicron variant reaches North America, Republican officials are introducing incentives for individuals to not get the Covid-19 vaccine.
On Sept. 8, President Joe Biden announced that any business with more than 100 employees is required to implement a vaccine mandate, which affects around 80 million private-sector workers, in addition to millions of federal workers and contractors.
Because of the mandate, GOP-controlled states like Florida, Iowa, Kansas and Tennessee have recently decided to allow workers who are fired or quit over vaccine mandates to receive unemployment insurance benefits.
The granting of unemployment benefits to unvaccinated individuals appears to be part of a Republican ploy to build loyalty and align those individuals with the GOP. Some ppolitical pundits have called it a bribe.
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According to Axios, Republicans see this as an opportunity to gain new support ahead of the upcoming midterms.
Nine GOP-controlled states have passed laws that require exemptions for President Biden’s vaccine mandate and ban private companies from requiring that employees obtain the vaccine. These laws have made it easy for individuals to claim exemptions, as they can list religious or medical reasonings without being required to provide proof.
Indiana Sen. Mike Braun has decided to challenge the federal vaccine mandate by using the Congressional Review Act, which is the official process for Congress to eliminate an executive branch rule. A Senate floor vote could come as early as December.
At least 20 bills that go against the vaccine mandate have been introduced by Republican officials.