Defying Texas Governor, Southwest, American Airlines Stand by Biden’s Vaccine Mandate

American Airlines passenger planes crowd a runway, at Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa, Okla., on March 23, 2020. Nick Oxford/Reuters

American Airlines and Southwest Airlines announced on Tuesday that they would follow President Joe Biden’s executive order requiring that employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 8, defying Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order blocking mandates by any entity in the state.

The companies, both based in Texas, argued that Biden’s mandate supersedes Abbott’s, which was issued on Oct. 11. The Republican governor said in a statement upon issuing his executive order (pdf) that the COVID-19 vaccine “should remain voluntary and never forced.”