"They're based in Florida, and obviously the Governor there has consistently taken steps to take steps backward as it relates to fighting the pandemic, not forward," Psaki responded Monday when asked aboard Air Force one what more the White House could do after companies such as Disney chose to do away with their vaccine mandates for employees after a stay of President Biden's workplace vaccine mandate imposed in federal court last week.
Psaki's remarks come after DeSantis passed four bills last week demanding private employers to allow vaccine exemptions, including but not limited to health or religious concerns, pregnancy or anticipated future pregnancy, and past recovery from COVID-19.
RUSSIAN COURT DENIES EVAN GERSHOVICH'S APPEAL, WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE WSJ REPORTER?
"Nobody should lose their job due to heavy-handed COVID mandates, and we have a responsibility to protect the livelihoods of the people of Florida," DeSantis said of the legislation.
Walt Disney World announced on Saturday that it was suspending its COVID-19 vaccine mandate in response to the new law.
HRMMM...RUSSIAN PRIEST THAT LEAD NAVALNY'S MEMORIAL SERVICE SUDDENLY 'DISMISSED' BY MOSCOW CHURCH
"We believe that our approach to mandatory vaccines has been the right one as we've continued to focus on the safety and well-being of our cast members and guests, and at this point, more than 90% of active Florida-based cast members have already verified that they are fully vaccinated," a Disney spokesperson said. "We will address legal developments as appropriate."
SQUATTERS BEWARE AS GEORGIA GOVERNOR SIGNS TOUGH NEW LAW
Earlier in November, The Biden Administration enacted a mandate requiring businesses with more than 100 employees to immunize their workers or be subjected to weekly testing. However, the rule was suspended by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which later ruled to support the stay on the order.
EXECUTION-STYLE AMBUSH: LOS ANGELES DEPUTY ATTACKED BY NOTORIOUS GANG MEMBER
In response, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced that it was abiding by the court order and would "take no steps to implement or enforce" the rule "until further court order."
Despite the loss in court, Psaki seemed confident that many businesses would require vaccinations even without an order.
PLOT TWIST ALERT: GEORGE SANTOS' EPIC EXIT THROWS CAMPAIGN CIRCUS INTO HILARIOUS CHAOS
"I would note that a recent poll showed that 60% of business leaders wanted to move forward on their own with vaccine requirements," she said. "We've seen them implemented, at a lot of companies, they've been effective, and overall it gives a lot of businesses certainty about their workforce, makes people feel more confident in coming back to work."
GOOGLE'S "NO POLITICS" POLICY IN ACTION: AND THEY MEAN BUSINESS!
But Psaki also made clear that the stay will continue to be "litigated through the process," while in the meantime, the Administration will continue "encouraging companies to take steps to protect their workforce."
Discover alternative ideas that will make you think
Engage in mind bending debate
Earn points, rise in rank, have fun
