‘Stunned at the overreach’: Gov. McMaster lashes out at federal vaccine mandates, will ban agencies from enforcing it

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD/WBTW) – Governor Henry McMaster lashed out against the Biden administration Thursday saying “unconstitutional COVID-19 mandates are forcing South Carolinians to choose between a vaccine and their jobs.”

Gov. McMaster believes there should be no vaccine mandates, saying people have ample access to the vaccines if they want it and should not be forced to get it otherwise. “They are available everywhere in South Carolina. People have reasons to take the vaccine and not to,” he said, calling the mandate “overreach.”

“We have been stunned at the overreach of the Biden administration,” McMaster said Thursday.

McMaster said he will be issuing an executive order to stop cabinet agencies from enforcing or issuing any vaccine mandate and will require agencies to report any communication with the federal government over vaccine mandates.

He also said South Carolina is joining a lawsuit, led by Georgia, against a federal contractor vaccine mandate.

“We are one of eight states who are in a lawsuit, already, against the federal government for its unlawful orders against federal contractors, and it extends beyond them to subcontractors and others in contact with subcontractors. We have filed a lawsuit, led by the state of Georgia, joined by six other states.”

More actions will be announced soon against the mandate on private business.

This comes after the government announced Thursday that companies with more than 100 employees will have to require employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or provide weekly negative tests by Jan. 4.

After vowing to fight the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate “to the gates of hell,” McMaster is attempting to make good on that promise.

“I have never seen a president go out of bounds, out of bounds of the law as this one,” McMaster said.