While Sen. Maggie Hassan was happy to make time to attack state politicians over their vote on vaccine funds, her time might have been better spent brushing up on federal vaccination policies.
Asked by NHJournal what she would say to Granite Staters who will lose their jobs over Biden administration vaccine mandates, Hassan claimed — incorrectly — that there was no such mandate.
“I just add that, except for healthcare facilities, the requirements here are that people either get vaccinated or get tested twice a week,” Hassan said.
In fact, as has been widely and repeatedly reported, Biden’s executive order requires all federal workers and employees of companies with federal contracts to get vaccinated — period. There is no testing option.
For example, civilian employees of the Department of Defense working in places like Pease Air Force Base or at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard will be fired from their jobs if they are not fully vaccinated, according to a Department of Defense memo.
On Friday, University of New Hampshire President James Dean updated faculty, staff, and students, telling them that because the college has so many government contracts, all employees who work on the Durham campus must be vaccinated by Dec. 8. That includes student employees.
“After a detailed review of interactions on the Durham campus, we cannot find a way to exclude any group of employees,” Dean wrote.
Biden has also ordered the Occupational and Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to come up with guidelines for private companies with 100 or more employees to require vaccines or regular testing. When those rules are finally released, they are all but certain to face court challenges.
Meanwhile, businesses are pleading with the White House to hold off on this mandate until after the holidays due to the worker shortage that is plaguing the supply chain.
So, why did Hassan say federal workers and contractors in New Hampshire would have a testing option?
Her office declined to respond to NHJournal’s request for comment.
Hassan’s fellow Democrats appeared to be aware of the vaccine mandate and its effects.
“I would simply tell them the stories of people that we know right here in the state who oppose vaccines, even oppose masks, who believe the disinformation that’s so readily available online and on Fox News,” Rep. Annie Kuster said in response to the question. “The Republican candidate for mayor in Berlin is dead. He died. I think it’s tragic.
“I don’t want to lose another Granite Stater, whatever their political stripes.”
Kimberly Haas contributed to this report.
