Pentagon Orders Texas Contractors to Mandate Vaccines for Employees, Despite Governor’s Ban
The Defense Department says the federal contractor vaccine order supersedes state laws.
By Marcus Weisgerber
Global Business Editor
October 14, 2021 05:45 PM ET
Defense contractors and their employees in Texas must get the COVID-19 vaccine despite the governor’s executive order banning vaccine mandates, the Pentagon said Thursday.
The Pentagon, in a statement Thursday, said that federal guidance supersedes local laws, like the executive order issued by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday. It pointed to federal guidance issued in September.
“These requirements are promulgated pursuant to Federal law and supersede any contrary State or local law or ordinance,” the federal guidance states. “Additionally, nothing in the Task Force Guidance shall excuse noncompliance with any applicable State law or municipal ordinance establishing more protective workplace safety protocols than those established under the Task Force Guidance.”
The Pentagon’s position is important because thousands of employees working for all of the major defense contractors operate in Texas. The aerospace and defense industry employs more than 148,000 in the state, according to the Texas Economic Development Corporation.
https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2021/10/pentagon-orders-texas-contractors-mandate-vaccines-employees-despite-governors-ban/186120/
