Gov. DeSantis vowing to 'fight back' against Biden's vaccine mandate
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at the opening of a monoclonal antibody site Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021, in Pembroke Pines, Fla. The site at C. B. Smith Park will offer monoclonal antibody treatment sold by Regeneron to people who have tested positive for COVID-19. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — A fight is brewing in Florida, as state leaders map out a plan to take on President Biden's vaccine mandate.
We have a responsibility to stand up for the constitution and fight back," Governor Ron DeSantis, said at a presser Friday. "We are doing that in the state of Florida.
Governor DeSantis is preparing to take on the president's new sweeping vaccine mandate.
Attorney General Ashley Moody also mirroring the governor's remarks, posting this to Twitter:
President Biden's 6 part plan includes requiring private-sector businesses, with more than 100 employees, to mandate vaccines or subject the unvaccinated to weekly testing.
"This order would result in potentially, in millions of Americans losing their jobs," DeSantis said. "I think we should be protecting people's jobs. Not trying to kick people out of work right now and that's exactly what we are going to be doing in Florida."
West Palm Beach Attorney Glen Torcivia disagrees that the Biden Administration is stepping out of line in its attempt to fight the Delta variant.
"Does the president have the right to do this?" Asked CBS12 News Reporter Stefany Valderrama.
"Yes, presidents traditionally have broad authority under their executive power," he said.
OSHA is tasked with seeing the president's order through, but details on how it will be implemented, who will pay for it, and where the manpower to accomplish it will come from, is unclear.
Companies that don't comply could face fines of up to $14,000 per violation, according to the Society for Human Resource Management.
Desantis vowed lawsuits will be filed, but President Biden isn't concerned about heading the court.
Have at it," President Biden said. "Look, I am so disappointed that particularly some Republican governors have been so cavalier with the health of these kids, So cavalier, the health of their communities. This is-- we're playing for real here. This isn't a game.
CBS12 News reached out to the Florida Department of Health and OSHA for comment, but we have not heard back.