by Brandon Beach
On Thursday, Joe Biden announced a sweeping plan to demand a huge swath of our nation step up and take the Covid-19 shot whether they like it or not – federal employees, workers in companies with more than 100 workers, federally-funded pre-school teachers.
It was the biggest step toward big government control over our personal lives and individual health that we have seen since the founding of our nation.
Healthcare decisions have been – and always will be – between an individual and their physician. At least that has been what Democrats have argued since the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision which legalized abortion.
Health policy this intrusive should not be mandated from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue nor from the Georgia State Capitol.
The reason is simple: every single American, just like every single human that walks the face of this earth, has a unique body with unique health conditions.
And for that reason, I will immediately introduce legislation for the special session of the Georgia General Assembly this fall to prohibit federal officials from imposing vaccine mandates impacting Georgia businesses and workers. And yes, it is our right under the United States Constitution because healthcare policy is not a prerogative of the federal government.
This sweeping power grab by the Biden Administration will put more lives in jeopardy as many will rebel against getting vaccinated. I also trust and admire those who do not want to get a vaccine for their own religious or personal health reasons because they and their doctors know their health conditions and they know what’s best for their bodies.
For example:
- Many young women are hesitant to get vaccinated because there is not enough research to show whether the vaccine will impact their reproductive health. Or whether it would impact a child in utero. A woman has every right to decide what goes in her body if she is pregnant and wants to protect that unborn baby.
- Some with heart conditions are hesitant to take the vaccine because of research coming out of Israel where the vast majority of the population is vaccinated. There are young people who are developing heart inflammation after taking the vaccine.
- There are reports of paralysis, blood clots, cardiac and neurological issues related to the vaccine that every one of my constituents have heard from friends and family. While the media wants to downplay these reports concerning those who were just vaccinated, they are more than happy to focus on the less than 1 percent who do get Covid and die.
Flu vaccines are not mandatory. Measles vaccines are not mandatory. Shingles vaccines are not mandatory. The reason they are not mandatory is because not every person can handle a vaccine. While I am not anti-vaccine, I do believe in personal choice.
Biden’s mandate makes you question why this Administration is so bent on forcing everyone to get a vaccine when 99 percent of those who contract Covid-19 recover from it.
I contracted Covid in 2020 and was severely ill but never hospitalized. I know it can be deadly serious for many with pre-existing medical conditions or those with weakened immune systems. But instead of forcing those to take something they don’t feel comfortable with, it would be better to educate and encourage healthy lifestyles to boost immunity. Federal policymakers should put more focus on funding Covid treatments instead of using power to instill fear and strangle freedom.
I work with businesses of all sizes, and I can guarantee you this mandate will not be welcomed by any business owner – large or small. We have all had enough of the federal government telling us how to run business let alone now delve into the health of employees.
The sooner someone can file suit to stop this mandate the better. But in the meantime, the Georgia Legislature will soon consider my proposal to make sure Biden’s plan won’t impact our state.
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Brandon Beach is a Republican state Senator from District 21 which includes part of Cherokee County. He is executive director of the North Fulton Community Improvement District. He is the former executive director of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce.
