Biden administration sued over COVID vaccine rule

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) Nineteen states are now suing to block President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors.

One suit filed in Missouri on Friday includes that state as well as Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.

A second suit filed in Georgia also includes Alabama, Idaho, Kansas, South Carolina, Utah and West Virginia. Texas sued individually on Friday, while Florida filed a separate lawsuit Thursday.

The lawsuits argue that the Biden administration overstepped its authority in requiring federal contractors to make their employees get the coronavirus vaccine.

Biden has argued that sweeping vaccine mandates will help end the deadly pandemic.