AG Knudsen statement on SCOTUS vaccine mandate decisions

In response to the U.S. Supreme Court's decisions today regarding President Biden's COVID-19 vaccine mandates, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen issued the following statement:

"The U.S. Supreme Court came to the only logical conclusion about President Biden’s mandate on private employers: it’s an abuse of executive power. Montana workers shouldn’t be forced to choose between a COVID-19 vaccine and their job.

The decision to allow the mandate for healthcare workers to go into effect while the case is fully decided is as nonsensical as it is disappointing. Its effect on Montana’s rural medical facilities will be irreversible and devastating.

This unprincipled ‘split the baby’ approach undermines public confidence in the Supreme Court and the rule of law. Today’s decisions do not mean either case is over – I will continue our fight to protect Montanans’ rights and strike down President Biden’s unlawful mandates for good."