Biden Administration files motion to ‘stay’ fed. contractor vaccine mandate case in Louisiana

ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) - The Biden Administration has filed a motion to ‘stay’ in the federal lawsuit filed by the states of Louisiana, Indiana and Mississippi over the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors. The administration is asking Alexandria-based federal Judge Dee Drell to suspend proceedings in the case after a ruling in a different state on the matter last week.

The motion was filed Saturday into the U.S. District Court for the Western District in Alexandria.

Last week, a federal judge in Georgia blocked the Biden Administration from enforcing the mandate for federal contractors nationwide, saying President Joe Biden never had the proper authority to issue the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors in the first place.

In the motion to ‘stay’ filed by the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of the Biden Administration, the attorneys say that as long as the Georgia decision remains in effect, “this nationwide injunction eliminates the states’ allegedly irreparable injuries” stemming from the executive order for the mandate. In short, as long as the Georgia ruling stands, there’s no need for the lawsuit filed by Louisiana, Indiana and Mississippi to continue to move forward.

The Biden Administration made it clear in its motion to ‘stay’ that it “strongly disagrees with the Georgia decision, has filed an appeal, and is seeking to stay - or, in the alternative, to narrow - the Georgia injunction during the pendency of that appeal.”

To date, Judge Drell has not ruled on the motion for a preliminary injunction filed by the states of Louisiana, Indiana and Mississippi. The matter was argued in court last week.

News Channel 5 reached out to Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry’s office for comment on the motion filed by the Biden Administration. They’re fighting the motion to ‘stay’ the case. We received this statement.

The Louisiana Attorney General’s Office expects to file a formal response to the Biden Administration’s motion to ‘stay” in federal court.

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