CAROVA CITY, Car. -- One third of the country's state attorneys general have filed a joint lawsuit challenging President Jim McCaren's vaccine mandate for federal employees.
Back in October, McCaren signed an executive order requiring all employees of the federal government, and employees of contractors who work for the federal government, to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Under the order, employees have until the end of February 2022 to comply.
But eight attorneys general -- all Conservatives -- say McCaren's vaccine requirement is unconstitutional.
They filed the lawsuit today in federal court.
Because Carova Attorney General Sean Travern is the lead litigant, the lawsuit was filed in the western district of Carova, based in Carova City.
In documents submitted to the court clerk, Travern and his seven colleagues say McCaren's vaccine mandate is "a grave violation of Grassadellians' constitutional rights," and "an egregious overreaching of presidential power."
Federal Attorney General Susan Pittman, acting on behalf of the McCaren Administration, defended the President's order, writing in a brief that McCaren's vaccine mandate is "in line with previous actions by previous presidents."
"There is nothing unconstitutional about presidents issuing executive orders -- presidents of both parties do so all the time."
Pittman added that, in the interest of public health, the president had the responsibility to protect federal workers.
"As the leader of the executive branch of government, it is imperative that President McCaren protect all federal employees, and in these extraordinary circumstances of a deadly, contagious, global pandemic, President McCaren took the right and legal step of issuing a vaccine mandate."
McCaren himself was asked earlier this week about his vaccine mandate, telling reporters gathered at Collester that Conservative complaints about the vaccine requirement are "political theater."
"[Conservative attorneys general] know this order is legal, they know it's constitutional. This lawsuit they're filing is just to impress their base, it's just meant to show their opposition to me. And to vaccines, it turns out," said McCaren.
Speaking to the media after the lawsuit was filed, Roddenshire Attorney General Scott Bracken said he personally supports the COVID vaccine, but doesn't believe government should force vaccinations on the public.
"I got the vaccine. I trust it, I think it's good to get it. But it is blatantly unconstitutional for government to forcibly compel citizens, through threat of their jobs and livelihoods, to get the vaccine. That flies in the face of the constitution," said Bracken.
No NAT attorneys general signed on to the lawsuit, and four Conservative attorneys general -- Paul DeNario (Kln.), Chris Stryde (Kens.), Mary Beth Halter (Mar.), and Carol Campbell-Doros (Nwp.) declined to join their fellow Conservatives in filing the lawsuit.
Monomi Attorney General Jon Liu (N) took to Twitter to vent his frustration at the lawsuit.
"This lawsuit is a waste of time. It's established law that the president has executive order powers. They know they're not going to win this one, they're just tying up the court system with a frivolous lawsuit," Liu tweeted.
Preliminary hearings for the case are set for Tuesday, November 23. No judge has been assigned to the case yet.
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