Florida’s DeSantis wants to hand out taxpayer dollars to businesses that defy vaccine mandates

And DeSantis, one of the leading Republican voices against federal vaccination regulations, wants to go further. He says his state could pay the fines of companies snubbering the federal vaccination mandate – and he will do so with the coronavirus relief aid signed by Biden.

“This is an important fight,” DeSantis recently told business leaders. “And it’s a fight we’d love to join.”

Just a few months ago, a majority of Americans lived in a state that would offer people cash or other freebies if they got the coronavirus vaccine. Democratic and Republican governors in more than a dozen states started lotteries, promising the newly vaccinated a chance at $ 1 million and sometimes more in prize money.

But DeSantis’ urge to use taxpayer dollars to compensate people who defy vaccine mandates is the latest example of rapidly changing vaccine policies and could become a blueprint for other Republican leaders who are getting on with one want to unite a growing minority of Americans who refuse to get the shot. A potential 2024 contender and one of his party’s most beloved figures, DeSantis has often set the tone for other Republican governors to respond to the pandemic and fight back against the Biden government.

If more states follow suit, it could dull Biden’s most potent tool – the threat of income loss – in his quest to promote vaccination. The mounting opposition has created more uncertainty about America’s response to the pandemic amid a winter surge that sparked another wave of hospital admissions in the north and mountain west. Meanwhile, a new variant of the coronavirus, Omicron, has entered the US, officials confirmed on Wednesday, rocking markets and leaders.

Crystal Watson, a professor of public health risk assessment at Johns Hopkins University, fears these states are giving people a reason not to get vaccines and creating a safe haven for the virus at a time when the United States is should fight the pandemic.

“The longer we have high prevalence in our communities, the more worrying variants we will see,” said Crystal Watson, professor of public health risk assessment at Johns Hopkins University. “From a scientific point of view and from a public health point of view, it is really harmful to provide support for people who are not going to get vaccinated.”

“They should inspire people to make good decisions”

Amid the fast-moving Florida special session on vaccine mandates last month, some Democrats struggled with lawmakers highlighting benefits for the unvaccinated. They found that, like many Republican leaders, DeSantis had stopped providing emergency aid to the unemployed five months earlier in an effort to stimulate the labor market.

State Representative Anna Eskamani, an Orlando Democrat, offered a change that would ensure unemployment benefits were paid to workers who felt unsafe at work and left their jobs because their employer did not need vaccines. In the Republican-dominated legislature, her amendment was deemed to be out of order.

“They didn’t even want to hear it,” said Eskamani. “These are the same Republicans who say they want a small government and let the people decide for themselves. But not only are you promoting anti-public health policies, you are rewarding them for doing so. You should encourage people to do good choices. “

DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw said it was wrong to characterize Florida’s new unemployment law as a taxpayer-funded incentive for the unvaccinated. She said the bill clarifies what is already the law in Florida that says an employee will be entitled to unemployment benefits if they are fired because of an illegal policy. DeSantis signed a bill banning strict vaccination requirements.

“Most people would rather keep their jobs and regular income, and that has always been the goal of the special session,” said Pushaw. “I don’t see anyone wanting to be fired because of a personal medical decision to receive unemployment benefits, which is generally lower than their previous income.”

The Biden administration declined to comment. Watson, the Johns Hopkins professor, said these new laws are “very inconsistent with the science and evidence-based news that public health is spreading”.

“It’s really dangerous from that perspective,” said Watson.

Following the signing of the Iowa bill, Republican Governor Kim Reynolds said in a statement the issue of ensuring that health decisions remain personal.

“I believe the vaccine is the best defense against COVID-19 and we have provided Iowans with the information they need to determine what is best for them and their families,” Reynolds said, “but not an Iowan should be forced to lose his job or livelihood from the COVID-19 vaccine. “

Carrots vs. sticks

Several studies found that state lotteries made little difference in combating vaccine hesitation. In October, the Biden government switched from carrots to whips amid stagnating vaccination rates.

Biden bet that most companies would issue vaccine mandates for their employees if faced with fines from the labor protection agency. Employees, it was believed, would ultimately choose a safe and effective vaccine rather than lose their jobs.

In some parts of the country the idea is working as planned. More than 92% of the federal workforce received at least one dose of the vaccine after Biden made vaccination a condition of employment, the Office of Management and Budget said late last month. Many cities, including New York, have attributed vaccine mandates for a surge in vaccination among public employees.

But across the country, Republican leaders have pushed back. Eleven states have banned vaccine mandates or are forcing companies and governments to offer exemptions, according to the National Academy for State Health Policy. Florida, for example, has made it so that almost anyone can get an exemption for religious or medical reasons, through testing, or by showing evidence of a previous medical exception.

The Biden government, which is already facing legal headwinds because of its vaccine mandates, is now anticipating widespread uncertainty in the business world about how to proceed. Last week Disney announced it would no longer mandate vaccines for its workers in Florida after DeSantis signed law requiring employers to allow vaccine exemptions.

In an Air Force One speech last week, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Disney’s decision made it clear how DeSantis was leading the country in the wrong direction in the fight against coronavirus.

“They are based in Florida, and obviously the governor there has consistently taken steps to take a step back, not forward, in terms of fighting the pandemic,” said Psaki.

OSHA has suspended enforcement of Biden’s new vaccine mandate for private companies with 100 or more employees after a federal appeals court halted implementation. Meanwhile, a federal judge in Missouri partially blocked another federal vaccination mandate for health workers on Monday, and on Tuesday a contacted federal judge took similar action against Biden’s mandate for federal contractors.

The Biden government has encouraged companies to abide by mandates while the courts resolve legal issues. DeSantis has urged Florida companies to do the opposite or face fines of up to $ 50,000 for breaking the state’s new law.

Even if the courts are on Biden’s side, DeSantis told the National Federation of Independent Business last month that he had a plan to combat any OSHA penalties.

“If it gets to the point where they’re trying to get enforcement, my view would be not to comply, and we would support lawmakers to take some of the stimulus money and use it to pay the corporate fines for non-compliance.” said DeSantis.

Pushaw said the idea was “an option” but added that it was “not currently necessary” because of actions taken by federal courts so far. The U.S. Treasury Department said it is overseeing all planned spending from COVID-19 relief funds, adding that any program that would undermine efforts to contain the spread of the virus will not be allowed.

DeSantis has also promised a $ 5,000 bonus to lure unvaccinated police officers into his state, though lawmakers must first agree. While any officer moving to Florida would be eligible for the bonus regardless of vaccination status, they specifically made their proposal to city police, who order their public employees to get vaccinated.

“If you’re not treated well,” DeSantis told Fox News in October, “we’ll treat you better here.”

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misidentified the Kansas governor’s political party.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/02/politics/florida-taxpayer-dollars-unvaccinated/index.html