Although details are still in flux, people who were close to the conversation said that it would be a strong incentive for those not vaccinated to get shots. This would not conflict with the earlier administration insistence that it wouldn't impose any mandate.As the Delta variant of the virus surges, top officials are rethinking their policies, including calls to mask the situation. Schools and businesses are reopening as a result, the vaccine requirement is the latest in a series of measures. After Biden declared victory, he faced questions about whether he was doing enough in containing the virus' resurgence and driving up vaccination rates.Notices have been issued by the White House, as well as several other government agencies including the State Department, requesting masks indoors.One Biden health official stated that he believes we are headed in the right direction and should reconsider.The White House is keeping the details of the announcement closely under wraps. Multiple federal officials, including from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institutes of Health, claimed they didn't know the president planned to announce vaccine requirements.A spokesperson for the White House declined to comment. However, Karine Jean-Pierre, Principal Deputy Press Secretary, told reporters Wednesday that the administration could impose new restrictions on unvaccinated workers if it goes ahead with its plans. This could include mandatory mask wearing and regular testing.The honor system approach to vaccine status does not include the requirements from the top that Republicans have lamented. It could be used unevenly across agencies. Two people familiar with the discussions indicated that some departments, such as Health and Human Services and Department of Homeland Security, are looking at more stringent requirements for staff who work with civilians or patients.Biden would have to sign a waiver requiring Covid-19 shots for military personnel, which two sources say is unlikely. This would allow the Pentagon to set vaccine guidelines for the Armed Services. The military leaders require active duty troops to receive a variety of vaccines, including an anthrax shot. Biden would need to use national security reasons to include the Covid-19 vaccines on that list.According to a former official in national security, the Pentagon has maintained that troops can only be ordered as long as CDC approval for vaccines is available. There are legal differences. Civil servants can order troops to get vaccines. However, troops can't. This is also a political issue. Civil servants are more senior and tend to be liberal-left of centre. Troops are young, and a large percentage of them are Fox [News] viewers.A DOD official stated Wednesday night that the Defense Department would reimpose the Pentagon Building's mask mandate.Federal civil servants are required to verify a variety of details. These include financial information and possible conflicts of interest, as well as travel expenses and hours worked, depending on the position they hold. They usually sign a form verifying that the information is correct. Similar to the Covid-19 vaccination, employees wouldn't need to attest to their status unless the agency goes one step further.This federal action comes at a time when some states and municipalities are imposing similar requirements upon their employees. California and New York City announced earlier this week that they will require government employees to get vaccinated.Nevada announced Wednesday that it would follow a similar path. Biden's plan could provide political cover for more states to follow suit. Those who advocate stricter vaccination rules speculate that it could spark a new wave of policies.Ezekiel Emanuel (bioethicist, who advised the Biden transition to Covid-19 and advocated for broad mandates) said that I believe the political backlash will go down. It is the type of thing that could be repeated.The administration discussed the new requirement in detail with labor leaders. They expressed concerns about the mandate being too early and feared backlash from their members. This prompted Bidens to reconsider a Covid-19 vaccine policy for all employees.Officials said that the administration plans to include the measures in broader instructions that Biden earlier this year gave to agencies like the Office of Management and Budget, to establish Covid-19 safety protocols to federal employees.Other outside organizations also supported the approach. The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers stated in a statement that while this was not an easy decision, it was the right one for members and the nation.POLITICO was told by industry sources that they encouraged the Biden administration to modify guidance that states that fully vaccinated people can opt out of testing programs. The administration still views testing as an option for those who won't say whether they have been immunized.One industry source stated that "a core component of any real return-to-work policy that the federal government is considering is to ensure that there's a robust testing component that applies all employees."This report was contributed by Lara Seligman and David Lim.
