Alabama Republican Party chairman John Wahl on Friday offered the state GOP’s official position regarding President Joe Biden’s vaccine dictum.
Echoing the sentiments of the state’s elected GOP officials, Wahl questioned the constitutionality of the mandate, which he believes to be an overreach of the legal authority granted to the presidency. Wahl, elected to serve as the ALGOP head earlier this year, has emerged a chief critic of the Biden administration’s progressive policies.
The president’s announcement continues to draw immense criticism from conservatives, many of whom have called for legal action against the order, in hopes that the judicial system will deem the edict to be unconstitutional.
Wahl believes Biden’s mandate to be in conflict with the nation’s founding principles.
“It is clear that the Biden Administration has lost touch with the American people, as well as the fundamental values that our nation was founded on,” said Wahl. “The fact that Democrat leaders think the federal government should have the power to force American citizens to be injected is not just disturbing, but also un-American.”
The ALGOP head says the debate is not surrounding the efficacy of vaccination, but rather a matter of medical freedom regarding the government forcing an individual to become inoculated.
“This is not about vaccines and whether people should take them, but about the God-given rights of the American people,” he added. “Individuals and families should have the freedom to make their own medical decisions without fear of a government mandate.”
Wahl pledged that the party will employ every tool at its disposal to ensure citizens maintain the right of personal autonomy. He noted the refusal of some to receive the vaccine due to religious or medical reasons.
“The people of Alabama can rest assured that the Republican Party will use all means available, both legal and legislative, to oppose this unconstitutional overreach. We will not sit by and watch good, hard-working people with religious and health objections be persecuted for their beliefs,” Wahl concluded.
Fox News reported Thursday that the Republican National Committee (RNC) intends to sue the president over his recently-announced mandate, which requires companies who employ more than 100 people to force its labor force to receive the vaccine or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing.
RNC to sue Biden admin over vaccine mandates https://t.co/90lZHBoWOE
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 10, 2021
RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel in a statement vowed to take legal action against the Biden administration once the mandate is officially implemented.
“Like many Americans, I am pro-vaccine and anti-mandate,” McDaniel stated. “Many small businesses and workers do not have the money or legal resources to fight Biden’s unconstitutional actions and authoritarian decrees, but when his decree goes into effect, the RNC will sue the administration to protect Americans and their liberties.”
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.