AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott says President Biden bungled his own COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
That's why Abbott says he signed an executive order banning vaccine mandates in Texas.
The order says no entity including private businesses can enforce COVID-19 vaccine mandates on workers or customers.
Abbott is asking the state legislature to pass a similar ban into law.
Under the president's current plan, all companies with more than 100 workers will have to either require employees to be immunized or conduct weekly testing.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is preparing the nationwide workplace vaccination rule.
The president has also mandated shots for federal contractors, most federal workers and virtually all health care workers.
Abbott calls Biden's plan another example of federal overreach that would threaten the state's recovery from the pandemic.
But Texas Hospital Association president and CEO Ted Shaw issued a statement strongly against Abbott's edict.
“The time is now to set politics aside and let hospitals do what’s best to protect their patients," Shaw said. "Texas hospitals strongly oppose efforts underway to hamstring them from being able to require vaccination of their own staff, many of whom are at the bedside every day with children and adults who are vulnerable to COVID-19.
"This political action undercuts the central mission of hospitals, and patients and staff cannot be put at unnecessary risk. Hospitals have soldiered on for months at ground zero of this pandemic. As experts in healing and saving lives, hospitals must have the trust, respect and flexibility to mandate vaccines in their own facilities to protect the people of Texas.”
