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Texas airlines defy Abbott, comply with Biden vaccine order
The Hill ^ | 10/12/21 | KARL EVERS-HILLSTROM

Posted on 10/13/2021 8:01:16 PM PDT by BlackFemaleArmyColonel

American Airlines and Southwest Airlines will continue to require COVID-19 vaccinations for their employees as required by the Biden administration, defying Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) executive order banning all vaccine mandates in the state.

The Texas-based carriers recently announced that all employees must get the shots to comply with the Biden administration’s vaccine requirement for federal contractors. Both airlines have large contracts with the U.S. government to transport supplies and federal officials.

Abbott signed an executive order Monday that prohibits any entity with 100 or more employees from implementing COVID-19 vaccine mandates, directly challenging the Biden administration’s vaccine requirement. The airlines said Tuesday that they will comply with the federal government rule over Abbott’s executive order.

“We are reviewing the executive order issued by Gov. Abbott, but we believe the federal vaccine mandate supersedes any conflicting state laws, and this does not change anything for American,” an American Airlines spokesperson said in a statement.

Southwest Airlines took the same stance Tuesday, stating that “federal action supersedes any state mandate or law.”

Nearly every major airline announced a vaccine mandate after the Biden administration said that all government contractors must be vaccinated by Dec. 8. Delta Air Lines, the only major carrier without a vaccine requirement, imposes a $200 monthly surcharge on unvaccinated workers.

Abbott’s new executive order is a reversal from his previous stance that the government shouldn’t tell private businesses how to handle vaccine mandates.

Renae Eze, Abbott's press secretary, said in a statement that the Biden administration rule "left employers with the unfair choice of either violating federal regulations or losing their valued employees."

"The Governor’s executive order will help protect Texans from having to make that choice,” she said.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
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To: BlackFemaleArmyColonel

Raise their landing fees about a thousand percent. They understand the bottom line.


21 posted on 10/13/2021 8:23:28 PM PDT by Mark17 (USAF ATCer, Retired. Father of USAF pilot. ATCers & pilots, the quintessential elements of aviation)
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To: BlackFemaleArmyColonel

Here’s where we see if Abbott can “walk the walk”...

If there is “no” mandate authorizing legislative law, then he needs to get some real legal brains working through the courts...
In the meantime, he should close American & Southwest terminals completely down...


22 posted on 10/13/2021 8:25:50 PM PDT by SuperLuminal (Where is another Sam Adams now that we desperately need him?)
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Did Abbott ever jail those democrats that fled or nah?


23 posted on 10/13/2021 8:26:21 PM PDT by proust (All posts made under this handle are, for the intents and purposes of the author, considered satire.)
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To: SuperLuminal

Abbott doesn’t have that kind of power. The most powerful position in Texas isn’t the governor. It’s the Lt. Governor as he gets to decide which legislation will make it to the governor’s desk.


24 posted on 10/13/2021 8:29:01 PM PDT by beancounter13 (A Republic, if you can keep it.)
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To: beancounter13

At that small a hold it is a good question.
I hope the pilots hold firm.
In Quebec the medical staff held out and the authorities moved the date back because they faced shutting down facilities.


25 posted on 10/13/2021 8:30:59 PM PDT by Lurkinanloomin ( (Natural born citizens are born here of citizen parents)(Know Islam, No Peace-No Islam, Know Peace)
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To: datura

The Federal “mandate” was only a press conference- there are NO LAWS OR REGULATIONS IN PLACE.


I don’t think that is how this works.

We are entering a new age where the government uses the same tactics the mobs used years ago. The old movie line “Nice business you have here..be a shame if something happened to it”.

The government can ruin an airline. IRS, OSHA, FAA inspections...equipment and flight check crews for violations that did not happen.

The same thing with the banks.

The same thing with any business that does business with them,,,Boeing, Lockheed, General Dynamics...on and on.

They don’t need a law.

One of the best examples of what they can do:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/did-feds-force-bank-of-america-merger/

BA later divulged that the feds told them that if they backed out of the deal they would put so many auditors in the bank that no customer would trust them or stay with them.

Mob tactics.


26 posted on 10/13/2021 8:32:37 PM PDT by old curmudgeon (There is no situation so bad that the federal government can not make worse.)
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To: BlackFemaleArmyColonel

What is the penalty for violating the Texas ban?


27 posted on 10/13/2021 8:34:21 PM PDT by ifinnegan (Democrats kill babies and harvest their organs to sell)
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To: MulberryDraw

Who wants to be a passenger in a plane flown by a jabbed pilot?


Not us! We cancelled two major airline trips.

Drive, don’t fly.

Have a friend who was scheduled to fly to CO, this weekend. He cancelled his flights and will drive, from SE TX.


28 posted on 10/13/2021 8:36:29 PM PDT by Jane Long (What we were told was a “conspiracy theory” in 2020 is now fact. 🙏🏻 Ps 33:12 )
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To: BlackFemaleArmyColonel

WONDERING: To skirt the federal dictates, would it be possible for TX to offer independent contractor licenses to pilots?


29 posted on 10/13/2021 8:36:54 PM PDT by UMCRevMom@aol.com ( )
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To: BlackFemaleArmyColonel

This is headed toward a full boycott of the airlines by passengers. The airlines will die without ticket-buying passengers.

It could destroy the airlines, destroy the huge airport terminals across America and their employees, destroy tourism, and destroy Boeing (which doesn’t need help committing suicide with its own company-wide vaccine mandates).


30 posted on 10/13/2021 8:38:20 PM PDT by Gnome1949
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To: Nathan _in_Arkansas
“Federal law trumps state law”
Except it isn’t federal law, it is an executive order. What if he issued an executive order prohibiting contractors with employees who own guns, or contractors who employ certain minorities?
31 posted on 10/13/2021 8:38:59 PM PDT by Yogafist
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To: BlackFemaleArmyColonel

They chose poorly.


32 posted on 10/13/2021 8:40:44 PM PDT by mass55th ("Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway." ~~ John Wayne )
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To: Nathan _in_Arkansas

What law?

Got a HB on that?


33 posted on 10/13/2021 8:41:32 PM PDT by eyedigress (Trump is my President!)
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To: UMCRevMom@aol.com

WONDERING: To skirt the federal dictates, would it be possible for TX to offer independent contractor licenses to pilots?


And, fly what planes??

These airlines will require any pilot to be ‘vax’d, won’t they?

Unless they play dirty dogs, like NYC hospitals hiring NG and ferriners, to replace longtime, loyal employees.....who ARE NOT ‘vax’d, as a workaround.

Could be a possibility/option, for these pilots, though.

Whatta mess.


34 posted on 10/13/2021 8:44:00 PM PDT by Jane Long (What we were told was a “conspiracy theory” in 2020 is now fact. 🙏🏻 Ps 33:12 )
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To: Nathan _in_Arkansas
"Federal law trumps state law"

Have you been able to find this presidential EO in the federal registry?

Reporting is that it is a press release only.

35 posted on 10/13/2021 8:50:45 PM PDT by Deaf Smith (When a Texan takes his chances, chances will be taken that's for sure.)
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To: beancounter13

Abbott doesn’t have that kind of power. The most powerful position in Texas isn’t the governor. It’s the Lt. Governor as he gets to decide which legislation will make it to the governor’s desk.


What Abbot should do is use the same tactics the feds use.

Buy the head of the health department a cup of coffee. Mention something about declaring the terminal area those airlines use might be a health department violation. Unsanitary rest rooms in that area, especially in the employee area.

The ramp at their gates looks pretty crummy. Better dig it all up and resurface.

There is something about the structure in that area of the terminal...needs to be inspected by structure inspectors for safety and repaired before further use....

He could shut them down for months. No gates, no fly.

There are other thing that might be less obvious....just a hint.


36 posted on 10/13/2021 8:51:06 PM PDT by old curmudgeon (There is no situation so bad that the federal government can not make worse.)
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To: BlackFemaleArmyColonel

This country is headed for the boneyard unless the Lord intervenes and answers our prayers. This is so “last days”.


37 posted on 10/13/2021 8:51:24 PM PDT by Maudeen (https://thereishopeinJesus.com - Our ONLY hope! )
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To: MulberryDraw
"Who wants to be a passenger in a plane flown by a jabbed pilot?"

Air travel, like freedom itself, is only for civilized nations. 2020 was the end of civilization in the United States.

38 posted on 10/13/2021 9:02:21 PM PDT by The Duke (Search for 'Sydney Ducks' and understand what is needed.)
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To: Nathan _in_Arkansas

Not if the constitution did not empower the federal government to write such a law.


39 posted on 10/13/2021 9:57:52 PM PDT by Revel
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To: Jane Long

Maybe, airlines can hire them as private contractors & not be counter as the mandate requirement of “100 employee”
Texas issue the independent contractors. Airlines free to hire!


40 posted on 10/13/2021 10:00:20 PM PDT by UMCRevMom@aol.com ( )
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