HELENA, Mont. – Yesterday, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced he is leading a lawsuit with 11 other states to fight back against the Biden Administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers. It is Attorney General’s third lawsuit against the Biden administration’s illegal mandates that force Montanans to undergo a medical procedure at the threat of losing their livelihoods.

Montana Republican Party Chairman Don “K” Kaltschmidt released the following statement in support of to the Attorney General’s fight for Montanans’ rights:

“Just a few weeks ago, Joe Biden was rightfully praising our healthcare workers for their bravery fighting COVID-19 and now he wants to fire these heroes if they don’t comply with his unconstitutional mandate. Biden’s mandates are nothing more than an attack on the rights of Montana’s frontline workers, first responders, small businesses, and families. His private employer mandate alone would affect 142,00 Montana workers-which is over a third of our private sector workforce. I am grateful Montana’s Republican leaders are fighting to reverse the rule and defend the rights of all Montanans, whether they choose to be vaccinated or not.”

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte reaffirmed House Bill 702, passed by the Montana Legislature and signed into law earlier this year, which prohibits employers from discriminating against an individual based on their vaccine status. Governor Gianforte also expressed support for Attorney General Knudsen’s efforts to fight the Biden Administration’s overreach.

U.S. Senator Steve Daines wrote a letter to President Biden expressing his concerns over the CMS ruling, which requires all healthcare workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine or lose their jobs. Senator Daines also voiced his support for Attorney General Knudsen’s actions, stating the mandate “will cripple Montana’s health care workforce and impact Montanans seeking medical care.”

Montana Congressman Matt Rosendale remains strongly opposed to any mandate or vaccine passport and earlier this year introduced the “No Taxpayer Funding for Vaccine Passports Act” which would prohibit federal funding from being used to implement or create a COVID-19 vaccine passport system. He also expressed serious concerns about the impacts a mandate on workers would have on the nation’s current labor shortage.

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