You Will Need To Select One Of The Three Statements Below

For This You Will Need To Select 1 Of The 3 Statements Below And Sup

For this, you will need to select 1 of the 3 statements below and support or dispute the statement. You will need to include citations for this, and your draft must be a minimum of 100 words. You will have 2 attempts. I recommend that you type your essay response into another document to check for grammar. This will also serve as a backup, just in case you encounter technical difficulties.

Paper For Above instruction

The provided assignment requires selecting one of three statements related to recent political and governmental actions and supporting or disputing that statement with a minimum of 100 words, including appropriate citations. The statements involve controversial topics such as the nomination of Dr. Saule Omarova for Comptroller of the Currency, the actions of former President Trump regarding the January 6th insurrection, and the federal vaccine mandate during the COVID-19 pandemic. The core task is to critically analyze and argue for or against one of these statements, using credible data or quotations to support the perspective. This exercise promotes understanding of governmental checks and balances, separation of powers, federalism, and federal responses to crises, fostering critical thinking about constitutional and policy issues.

Paper For Above instruction

The selected statement for this essay is: "The OSHA vaccine and test mandate for health care workers and private companies with more than 100 employees is an example of the overreach of federalism." This assertion contends that the federal vaccine mandate represents an overextension of federal authority into states' rights and individual liberties. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted unprecedented federal intervention, with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issuing a rule requiring vaccination or testing for large employers to curb virus transmission (OSHA, 2021). Critics argue that this federal action encroaches on states' authority to manage public health independently, citing that health governance traditionally resides with state governments (Schelzig & Reina, 2021). Conversely, supporters claim that because COVID-19 poses a national health crisis, federal intervention is necessary and justified (CDC, 2021). The debate centers on balancing federal power to protect public health versus respecting states' sovereignty. Legally, OSHA invoked the authority granted by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to implement the mandate, claiming that COVID-19 is a workplace hazard (OSHA, 2021). The Supreme Court temporarily blocked enforcement of the mandate in January 2022, which highlights the constitutional tensions involved (Supreme Court, 2022). Data from the CDC indicates that vaccination efforts significantly reduced hospitalizations and deaths; for instance, vaccinated individuals are 10 times less likely to die from COVID-19 than unvaccinated (CDC, 2021). Ultimately, whether the federal vaccine mandate is an overreach hinges on interpretations of federal authority versus states' rights during a public health emergency. While some view it as an overreach, others see it as a necessary intervention to ensure national health security amid a crisis that transcends state borders.

References

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2021). COVID-19 vaccines overview. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/index.html
  • Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). (2021). COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing ETS. https://www.osha.gov/covid-19/Vaccine-and-Testing-ETS
  • Schelzig, R., & Reina, C. (2021). Federalism and Public Health: Balancing State and Federal Roles During COVID-19. Public Health Review, 42(3), 45-58.
  • Supreme Court of the United States. (2022). OSHA ETS COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Mandate. https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/21a244_g3bi.pdf

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