Four Senate Republicans Fail to Show Up for Vote on Amendment Defunding Vaccine Mandates, Ensuring Failure

Four Senate Republicans failed to show up to vote on an amendment that would have defunded President Joe Biden’s remaining vaccine mandates, thus ensuring its failure.

The Senate voted on Sen. Mike Lee’s (R-UT) amendment to the continuing resolution (CR), which would defund Biden’s remaining vaccine mandates. The measure failed 46-47, with Sens. Mitt Romney (R-UT), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Richard Burr (R-NC) failing to show up, depriving Senate Republicans a potential majority to pass the amendment to the CR.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) set the vote threshold to a majority, and it remains possible that he could have set the threshold to 60 if Republicans had enough votes to pass with a majority; however, Democrats broke and voted to defund Biden’s private employer mandate the last time they voted on vaccine mandates. This could have put more pressure on Democrats to support the defunding of Biden’s vaccine mandates.

Lee said after the vote, sharing a video of his Senate floor speech demanding to defund the vaccine mandates:

Federal vaccine mandates are immoral. pic.twitter.com/2emONqdVZe

— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) February 17, 2022

Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Jon Tester (D-MT) voted in December for a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to defund the private employer vaccine mandate.

Manchin and Tester voted no on Lee’s amendment.

The Supreme Court has blocked the Occupational Safety and Health Administration vaccine mandate for large employers; however, the federal government can still enforce the other four mandates, which include the mandates on medical workers, military personnel, federal employees, and federal contractors.

Lee and Sens. Roger Marshall (R-KS), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Mike Braun (R-IN), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Ted Cruz (R-TX) have led the fight to defund Biden’s vaccine mandates.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) said in reaction to the failed vote, “Missing R’s keeping vax mandates alive? Romney (UT), Inhofe (OK), Burr (NC), & Graham (SC). No excuses – they should all be shamed. Now – EVERY @SenateGOP should be held accountable for voting to fund this government. Watch, count the votes, then act. ”

Missing R’s keeping vax mandates alive? Romney (UT), Inhofe (OK), Burr (NC), & Graham (SC). No excuses – they should all be shamed. Now – EVERY @SenateGOP should be held accountable for voting to fund this government. Watch, count the votes, then act. #DefundVaxMandates https://t.co/Wir53zOCmH

— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) February 17, 2022
Daniel Horowitz, a senior editor at the Blaze, said, “Imagine Burr, Inhofe, Romney and Graham thinking that they had something more important than defeating sickening mandates on human bodies. If they don’t want to be there for the most important votes they should resign.”

Imagine Burr, Inhofe, Romney and Graham thinking that they had something more important than defeating sickening mandates on human bodies. If they don’t want to be there for the most important votes they should resign.

— Daniel Horowitz (@RMConservative) February 17, 2022
Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.