Attorney General Todd Rokita today continued his fight against President Joe Biden’s unlawful vaccine mandates with an amended complaint challenging a federal rule that all health care workers be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to work at facilities treating Medicare or Medicaid patients.
“Unlike the leftists controlling much of the federal government, Hoosiers believe in personal liberty,” Attorney General Rokita said. “We believe the government should respect our ability to make our own health decisions in consultation with our doctors. And I will keep doing everything in my power to defend Hoosiers’ rights against oppressive overreach by Washington elitists.”
In today’s action, 16 states joined together to file a second amended lawsuit challenging the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) mandate. Attorney General Rokita and other attorneys general already have won court victories against three other Biden vaccine mandates.
Forcing nearly everyone who works in any capacity in the health care setting to choose between their jobs and personal liberty has contributed to a labor shortage in health care, the lawsuit notes.
As amended, the lawsuit also now addresses recent CMS guidance making clear that the states themselves, not the federal government, are expected to bear responsibility for implementing the misguided mandate.
Besides infringing on individual liberties and burdening states, the CMS rule directly contravenes Indiana state law by requiring certain state employees be vaccinated as a condition for their state employment. Indiana law expressly prohibits state or local units of government from issuing or requiring proof of immunization status.
