AP Photo/Evan Vucci
- Republican state leaders vow to fight Biden's vaccine mandate in court.
- Under a plan announced Thursday, employers with 100 or more employees would require vaccinations.
- "@JoeBiden see you in court," South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
Republican state leaders vowed to fight President Joe Biden's employer vaccine mandate, with many threatening legal action.
Biden on Thursday said all employers with 100 or more employees must require them to get shots or face weekly testing.
In announcing the plan, he said it was "not about freedom or personal choice," but instead about protecting Americans.
"'This is not about freedom' is a phrase that should never come out of a U.S. President's mouth," Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee wrote on Twitter in response.
Other GOP state leaders threatened legal action. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said, "@JoeBiden see you in court." Texas AG Ken Paxton said, "I will see you in court soon!" Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said the state would take "any and all action" in her power "to stop this unprecedented power grab."
Attorney generals in Kansas and Missouri were both considering lawsuits, The Kansas City Star reported. Indiana, Oklahoma, and Utah may also follow suit, local reports said.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said: "I will pursue every legal option available to the state of Georgia to stop this blatantly unlawful overreach by the Biden administration."
Biden on Thursday said more than 80 million Americans were still unvaccinated, despite the doses being "free, safe, and convenient."
"These pandemic politics, as I refer to, are making people sick, causing unvaccinated people to die," he added. "We cannot allow these actions to stand in the way of protecting the large majority of Americans who have done their part and want to get back to life as normal."
At the White House on Friday, Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked if any of the governors criticizing Biden's plan had reached out to the president or his office. Psaki said she didn't have any info about such calls on hand.
"We are in touch with a range of governors - Democratic and Republican - every week, if not more frequently, about a range of topics, including our efforts to address the pandemic," she said.