OPINION:
The U.S. Senate, with a Republican-dominated voice of 49 to 44, passed a resolution to block Joe Biden’s presidentially decreed coronavirus shot mandates for healthcare workers.
Republicans are calling it a victory. But it’s not. Not really.
Neither the Democrat-led House nor the White House support it, and it won’t pass. But that shouldn’t matter. It shouldn’t matter because Republicans in the Senate, if they wanted, if they so chose, if they truly believed in the constitutionally disgusting idea of government forcing an untested-for-long-term-safety-and-efficacy shot into the arms of 17 million or so health care workers — if they honestly wanted to put a stop to the madness and executive overreach — they could.
They could hold fast on the idea to defund the vaccine mandates in the omnibus bill that’s coming to vote.
No money, no mandate.
No need to get Democrats on board.
But will Republicans go for principle?
During spending bill discussions in February, from The Wall Street Journal, was this: “Democrats defeated a measure from Sen. Mike Lee (R., Utah) barring the enforcement of vaccine mandates for the federal workforce and military, with 46 senators in favor and 47 opposed. An amendment from Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) to cut off federal funding for schools or child-care centers that enforce vaccine mandates on children was also defeated.”
Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham and Richard Burr were absent for the vote. So were Republican Sens. Mitt Romney and James Inhofe.
Democrats took full advantage.
A stopgap spending bill was passed.
And all it did was kick the vaccine mandate can down the road — to March 8 and the scheduled omnibus bill vote. To March 11, when the stopgap funding ends. Yay, Team Republicans. Way to roar like a lion. Or is that squeak like a mouse? Either way, this is exactly why Donald Trump was elected: because so-called conservative public servants failed to perform a) like conservatives and b) like public servants. Remember, GOP: Vaccine mandates aren’t popular with Democrats in charge, and they won’t be popular with Republicans in charge, either. Simply put, principles matter.
“Make no mistake, this federal vaccine mandate is not about public health or science — it’s about Joe Biden fulfilling his desire to control every aspect of our lives, and it’s a slap in the face to the hard-working men and women who never took a day off in the frontline [health care] fight against COVID-19,” said Sen. Roger Marshall, architect of the resolution to end the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services vaccine mandate, to Breitbart News.
“These workers,” Marshall continued, “are the true heroes of the pandemic and deserve our best fight and utmost respect.”
True.
So do all Americans who love and fight for the Constitution and the notion of liberties coming from God, not government.
Now if only Republicans in public service truly believed that, too — they will hold the line on funding and stand for individual freedom. They’ll fight for what’s right, rather than caving in political weakness.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter by clicking HERE. Her latest book, “Socialists Don’t Sleep: Christians Must Rise Or America Will Fall,” is available by clicking HERE.
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