Labor Secretary Insists OSHA COVID-19 Vaccine Rule Is Not a Mandate

Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh is seen in Washington on May 13, 2021. Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images

Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, during a media blitz on Thursday, said that the new Biden administration rule that requires private employees to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or get tested for COVID-19 on a regular basis is not a mandate.

“This isn’t a mandate—this is a vaccine or testing,” Walsh, a former mayor of Boston, said during an appearance on MSNBC.