OSHKOSH – On Thursday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) released the following statement regarding President Biden’s disregard for individual freedom and his announcement of vaccine mandates for working Americans.     

“The Biden administration’s decision to mandate vaccines for working Americans, without recognizing natural immunity and making exceptions for it, is an outrageous trampling of civil liberties. Rather than address legitimate concerns and answer basic questions regarding vaccine safety, President Biden and his administration have chosen coercion over transparency. 

“Over the course of the last two weeks, I’ve received a growing number of emails and other communications from individuals who are highly concerned about the coercion, the pressure, and the reprisals they will face if they do not give in to these vaccine mandates. Many of these individuals are first responders and health care professionals already concerned about worker shortages in their industries, and they fear mandates will make matters worse.

“Today’s announcement by President Biden is a level of coercion that I find highly disturbing. His mandate for all federal employees, federal contractors and private sector employees to get vaccinated is a dangerous precedent for what a U.S. president can unilaterally impose on the American public. This administration completely ignores recent studies about those previously infected and refuses to allow an exception for those with natural immunity. It also ignores the importance of early treatments in the fight against COVID-19.

“As president-elect, Biden said on vaccines, ‘I don't think it should be mandatory, I wouldn't demand it be mandatory.’ In July, press secretary Jen Psaki said that a vaccine mandate ‘is not the federal government’s role.’ Biden owes the American people full transparency on what led to this reversal. I will continue to support and fight for those who believe in individual freedom, health autonomy and privacy, and oppose vaccine mandates and vaccine passports. We’ve given up enough freedom during this pandemic. It’s time for Americans to reclaim their freedom.”

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