[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 194 (Thursday, November 4, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H6186]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       OPTIONS OVER TERMINATIONS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. Newhouse) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt about it, we are in a 
time of crisis largely fueled by the Democratic Party and President 
Biden's policies. Store shelves are increasingly empty, the cost of 
basic goods is soaring, supply chains are failing, ports are 
backlogged, and government restrictions on domestic energy have driven 
the price of gasoline to 7-year highs. Who is it that foots the bill 
for these progressive policies? I will tell you, it is hardworking 
American families.

                              {time}  1045

  Rather than address the underlying causes of scarcity by bolstering 
American production and enhancing our Nation's energy independence, the 
Biden administration has worsened the situation with their dictatorial 
policies and mandates, most recently in the form of an executive order 
requiring all Federal employees and contractors be fully vaccinated 
against COVID-19 by November 22 and December 8, respectively.
  The alternative? Termination.
  This mandate goes too far and has become a model for Democratic 
Governors across the country--including my own State of Washington's 
Governor Inslee--who are using it to justify their own drastic actions 
and impose similar State-level mandates.
  Now, in addition to the hundreds of State emergency personnel who are 
already out of work, threatening the safety of our communities, central 
Washington also has hundreds of Federal workers and contractors who are 
facing termination.
  American businesses have been struggling enough to find workers, fill 
production shifts, and deliver goods. President Biden's one-size-fits-
all vaccine mandate will further hammer our small businesses, driving 
up prices, slowing down deliveries, and exacerbating supply chain 
problems.
  First responders and frontline healthcare workers are also being 
fired for not complying with COVID-19 vaccine mandates. In the State of 
Washington, we have seen hundreds of our brave law enforcement officers 
forced to choose between vaccination and doing their jobs. Leaving our 
communities, which are facing rising crime rates, unprotected is not 
going to increase anyone's safety.
  Hospitals and health clinics are experiencing staffing shortages as 
well. The remaining employees are then overworked to compensate, 
leading to burnout and increased staff turnover. Leaving our hospitals 
understaffed is not going to help our communities overcome this public 
health crisis.
  President Biden's deadline for the vaccine mandate brushes right up 
against the peak holiday season. Since cargo distribution companies are 
already battling unprecedented labor shortages, this mandate is likely 
to wreak havoc on the global supply chain when it is stressed the most, 
during the holidays. Leaving our tables empty and the space under our 
Christmas trees bare is not going to improve morale.
  But why is President Biden perpetuating a permanent state of 
emergency? The only answer that comes to mind is that he is more 
concerned about expanding governmental control than the safety and 
stability of our workforce or the protection of our individual rights.
  Not only does this mandate go against our inalienable rights 
protected in the Constitution, but it ignores the fact that natural 
immunity also provides protection against infection from the virus. In 
fact, other countries have adopted policies upholding this as a valid, 
science-based exemption from vaccine requirements. The mandate also 
doesn't allow workers to opt out through frequent COVID testing, as 
many private businesses have chosen to do.
  Federal employees who have opted not to receive the vaccine because 
they have natural immunity developed after recovering from the virus do 
not deserve to be fired, especially when those same men and women have 
worked tirelessly to keep our communities safe and healthy before there 
was even a vaccine available. These men and women, who have been on the 
front lines since the beginning of the pandemic and risking their 
families' health and safety to ensure our Federal and State projects 
continued and that our communities remained protected, deserve our 
respect, not our condemnation.
  But the President has doubled down on his policies, stating that he 
absolutely thinks police officers and emergency responders should be 
fired if they do not comply with this mandate.
  That is why I introduced the Options Over Terminations Act. This 
legislation would provide an exemption to the Federal COVID-19 mandate 
for any Federal employee or contractor who provides proof of COVID-19 
antibodies.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support my legislation and 
provide our workers with a smart, science-based alternative to 
President Biden's vaccine mandate.

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