Morry Gash, File/Associated Press; Eric Gay, File/Associated Press
- The White House said it would require some companies to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for employees.
- Gov. Greg Abbott said he would fight the decision, citing Texans' "right to choose."
- Rep. Ilhan Omar ripped Abbott in a reference to the state's abortion ban that took effect last week.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
Rep. Ilhan Omar called Texas Gov. Greg Abbott a "hypocrite" over his contrasting stances on the "right to choose" when it comes to vaccines and abortions.
The Biden administration announced Thursday it would require businesses with more than 100 employees to implement a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for their employees, or submit them to weekly testing. The announcement prompted swift backlash from many Republicans, including the lone star state's governor.
"Biden's vaccine mandate is an assault on private businesses. I issued an Executive Order protecting Texans' right to choose whether they get the COVID vaccine," Abbott said in a tweet. "Texas is already working to halt this power grab."
But Omar was quick to pounce on the governor's support of the "right to choose" when it comes to vaccines.
"Don't pretend like you believe in the right to choose, you hypocrite," the Minnesota Democrat said in a retweet of Abbott, in apparent reference to a new abortion law in Texas.
-Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) September 9, 2021
The new law went into effect in Texas last week after the Supreme Court declined to block it. The law bans all abortions in the state after six weeks of pregnancy, with no exceptions for rape or incest.
Abbott signed the bill in May, saying it would ensure "that the life of every unborn child who has a heartbeat will be saved from the ravages of abortion."
Critics of the law argue that most women do not even know they are pregnant at six weeks. One worker at an abortion clinic in Houston said they had to turn away 70% of women who came in seeking care in the week after the law went into effect.
The Justice Department sued Texas on Thursday in an attempt to block the law.