NLBMDA Alert: Senate repeals Biden vaccination mandate
The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) says the work it has put in to overturn the Biden Administration’s vaccination mandates has paid off.
Today the NLBMDA issued the following statement regarding the latest move by the U.S. Senate in response to the vaccination policy:
The U.S. Senate passed a NLBMDA-supported Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to nullify the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate on private employers by a vote of 52-48. Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Jon Tester (D-MT) joined every Republican in voting to pass the resolution. The Congressional Review Act allows Congress to formally overturn rules issued by the executive branch.
As the national voice of LBM dealers, NLBMDA has been working with lead bill sponsors Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) and Rep. Fred Keller (R-PA) to raise awareness regarding the impact that the Biden administration’s vaccination mandate could have on the LBM industry and its supply chain. Last night, Sen. Braun recognized NLBMDA by name in his speech on the Senate floor during debate on the CRA resolution. Members can find a recording of his speech here.
Following the passage of the Senate resolution, lead House sponsor Rep. Keller issued a press release where he featured a quote from NLBMDA President Jonathan Paine and highlighted the concerns of the LBM industry with respect to the mandate. NLBMDA’s quote can be found below:
“While the health and safety of our workforce remains a top priority, NLBMDA continues to have major concerns related to the OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) including those related to the impact on labor, access to testing kits, the burden of implementation on small businesses, and the costs. Considering the severe impact this ETS will have on businesses continuing to deal with pandemic recovery and supply chain challenges, we support the congressional review process to protect our dealers and our workforce,” Keller said.
This recognition from lawmakers on both sides of Capitol Hill is a testament to NLBMDA’s national relevance on major policy issues affecting the small business community.
The Senate’s CRA resolution now moves to the House where it has the support of all 213 Republicans and only needs five Democrat cosponsors to reach the 218 member threshold required for a discharge petition to force a vote on the House Floor. NLBMDA encourages members residing in Democratic-held House districts to urge their representative to cosponsor the resolution by utilizing the Grassroots Action Center. Should the resolution pass the House, President Biden will be forced to either rescind the mandate or publicly rebuke Congress through a veto.
