Republican says GOP should block government funding over vaccine mandates

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) called on Republicans in Congress to attempt to block government funding legislation next month in response to the Biden administration’s vaccinate-or-test requirements that he labeled as “unconstitutional.”

The Texan requested his fellow Republicans to “stand up” and prevent the government from passing a continuing resolution to extend funding beyond Dec. 3 as long as the federal vaccine mandates are in effect.

“We need Republicans to stand up and say we’re not gonna fund the government on Dec. 3 with a continuing resolution if these mandates stay in place,” he told “The Faulkner Focus” on Fox News. 

“So I’m calling on my colleagues to stand strong and not fund the government that’s going to go do propaganda on our kids and put these unconstitutional mandates in place,” he added.

“I’m calling on my colleagues to stand strong and NOT fund the government that’s going to go do PROPAGANDA on our kids and go put these UNCONSTITUTIONAL MANDATES in place.”

On @HARRISFAULKNER Rep Roy calls on Rs to #SayNoToVaccineMandate as next month’s shutdown deadline looms: pic.twitter.com/G2zM1NowGr

— Rep. Chip Roy Press Office (@RepChipRoy) November 8, 2021

The debate over the administration’s vaccine mandates has ramped up in recent days after the Labor Department released a rule requested by Biden requiring all businesses with at least 100 employees to mandate vaccinations or regular COVID-19 testing by Jan. 4.

In response, several Republican attorneys general, business groups and religious organizations filed lawsuits against the administration, asserting the vaccinate-or-test requirement violates Americans’ civil liberties.

Although a federal court stayed the administration’s policy for businesses over the weekend, the White House encouraged businesses to move forward with the mandate with deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre saying, “We think people should not wait.”

But Roy’s comments indicate the federal mandate could pose additional obstacles for the administration beyond the lawsuits, as the deadline to prevent a government shutdown approaches in about a month. 

Biden previously narrowly avoided a shutdown in September after the House and Senate passed a continuing resolution funding the government until the new Dec. 3 deadline.

In the Fox News interview, Roy slammed Pfizer for comparing the children who participated in trials for the COVID-19 vaccine to “superheroes” in a video released earlier this month.

“This is why I’ve publicly said I will take no money from Pfizer,” Roy told Fox News’ Harris Faulkner. “I’m not gonna take any money from a company that’s gonna engage in that kind of propaganda.”

Big Bird also received criticism from some Republicans, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), after his account tweeted that he had received the vaccine over the weekend.