Deep Dive (Oct. 29): Florida Sues Biden Over Vaccine Mandate

Democrats on Capitol Hill are trying to figure out how to move ahead when it comes to passing the new social safety net framework. A vote on the infrastructure bill has been delayed again amid party divisions. Progressive leaders are assuring the president that even with some of the cuts from the social safety net plan, it won’t be much longer before a deal on the sweeping spending bill comes together. The House Thursday night instead passed a second temporary extension of the highway trust fund—keeping nearly 4,000 federal employees on the job through Dec. 3. That’s the same day the government funding extension is also set to expire. Both the House and Senate are recessed until Monday.

Florida is suing the Biden administration over the vaccine mandate for federal contractors. Gov. Ron DeSantis says the mandate is not only unconstitutional, but it also deprives people of their livelihoods. DeSantis said, “In the state of Florida, you have the right to earn a living. And it should not be denied to you based on these shots. And so we want to protect people who are working now in the state of Florida. These people have been working the whole time, and now all of a sudden they are going to get kicked to the curb?”

A New York judge refused to pause the state’s vaccine mandate, denying a police union’s request for a temporary restraining order. This comes as first responders and frontline workers express frustration over going from “heroes to zeroes” in the public eye. NTD sat down with Nicole Sirotek, founding member of American Frontline Nurses. She speaks about her experience being in New York at the beginning of the pandemic, the effects the changing narratives had on health care workers’ mental health, and how they went from “being essential to expendable.”

Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.

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