9th Circuit upholds Biden vaccination mandate for federal contractors

President Joe Biden had the power to require employees of federal contractors to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, a U.S. appeals court ruled on April 19, throwing out a judge's ruling that had blocked the mandate in Arizona, Reuters reports. A panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the 2021 mandate that applied to millions of workers nationwide fell under the broad powers granted by the federal Procurement Act, which enables the president to adopt rules that promote economy and efficiency in federal contracting.