Peach Tree Times

Snellville Mayor Pro Tem Dave Emanuel opposes President Joe Biden's recent vaccination mandate, according to a piece he wrote for the Georgia Public Policy Foundation

Although Emanuel supports vaccination against COVID-19 and believes that receiving the injection is a prudent choice, he condemned the mandates, claiming that they were unconstitutional and that establishing 'such a precedent is a giant step on the road to despotism.'

"If the president, as opposed to a legislative body, can implement a nationwide vaccination mandate, what’s next," Emanuel wrote,"a presidential mandate that anyone infected with the disease must be quarantined in a federal facility? Incarceration for the unvaccinated unless they agree to 'take the shot?'"

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, stated during a news conference in July that it was "not the role of the federal government" to issue vaccination requirements for the whole country.

In early September, the Biden administration announced that federal employees, federal contract workers, workers at large employers and health care staff will be required to get vaccinations, according to a CNN report.

"We've been patient, but our patience is wearing thin, and your refusal has cost all of us," Biden said regarding Americans who have chosen not to receive the vaccine.

Biden's measure is estimated to affect approximately 100 million people.