Business groups don’t oppose Biden vaccine requirement

Powerful business groups whose members are directly affected by President Biden’s recently announced coronavirus vaccine requirement applauded Biden’s effort to boost vaccinations, but said that the administration needs to provide more details about its plan.

While business interests want to hear specifics about how businesses will enforce vaccination or regular testing, they did not lash out against Biden’s mandate as GOP politicians did Thursday.

National Association of Manufacturers President Jay Timmons on Thursday said he shared Biden’s goal of getting Americans vaccinated, but expressed concern about the cost of implementing the requirement.

“We look forward to working with the administration to ensure any vaccine requirements are structured in a way that does not negatively impact the operations of manufacturers that have been leading through the pandemic to keep Americans safe,” Timmons said in a statement. “It is important that undue compliance costs do not burden manufacturers, large and small alike.”

The Business Roundtable, which lobbies on behalf of some of the largest U.S. employers, backed Biden’s plan Thursday, stating that it “welcomes the Biden administration’s continued vigilance in the fight against COVID.”