The state of Florida is reportedly suing President Joe Biden, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and other federal officials over the White House's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors.
In a lawsuit, a copy of which was given to DailyMail.com, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody allege Biden's sweeping vaccine order will cause 'imminent irreparable harm' to Florida.
A spokesperson for DeSantis' office told DailyMail.com that DeSantis believes 'no one should have to choose between a jab and a job.'
Biden, Nelson, NASA, the Defense Department and several other White House officials from the Office of Management and Budget are all named as defendants in the suit.
DeSantis argues that NASA, whose principal launch base is the Kennedy Space Center on Florida's central Atlantic coast, 'is and will continue to seek to impose the Biden administration's unlawful requirements to Florida.'
'Because Florida’s employees are generally not required to be vaccinated, the challenged actions threaten Florida with the loss of millions of dollars in future contracting opportunities and put undue pressure on Florida to create new policies and change existing ones, each of which threatens Florida with imminent irreparable harm,' the lawsuit reads.
DeSantis live streamed the public announcement of his lawsuit on Facebook today
The suit, first obtained by Fox, cites the 'frequent contracts' and 'current contractual relationships' the federal science agency has with DeSantis' state.
'Because the government’s unlawful vaccine requirement seeks to interfere with Florida’s employment policies and threaten Florida with economic harm and the loss of federal contracts, the State seeks relief from this Court,' it reads.
Filed in a US district court in Tampa, the move is the latest blow against the Biden administration in a series of escalating tensions between the Democratic president and Republican governors who accuse him of overstepping his authority.
DeSantis spokesperson Christina Pushaw told DailyMail.com, 'Governor DeSantis is committed to protecting Floridians’ jobs, including those who work for federal contractors. No one should have to choose between a jab and a job, or give up their bodily autonomy due to unlawful and unscientific edicts.'
The president's mandate requires that all federal government workers be inoculated against COVID. Federal contractors are ordered to make sure all of their employees are vaccinated by December 8 at the latest.
Nelson, a former astronaut that Biden appointed to helm NASA, was a Democratic senator from Florida until he was unseated by DeSantis' predecessor, Governor-turned-Senator Rick Scott.
One of the people named in the lawsuit is former astronaut Bill Nelson, the NASA Administrator who represented Florida in the US Senate until the Democrat was unseated by former Florida Governor Rick Scott, a Republican
DailyMail.com has reached out to the White House and
