BIDEN’S VAX MANDATE VANISHES — In the middle of an Omicron surge that’s thrown the nation’s recovery into doubt and threatened to consume his presidency, Joe Biden just lost one of his biggest weapons against the pandemic. The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked enforcement of Biden’s vaccine-or-test requirement for large businesses, all but wiping out a mandate aimed at persuading tens of millions of people to protect themselves against the coronavirus. The 6-3 ruling fell along ideological lines, marking the latest setback for Democrats at the hands of the court’s conservative majority — and taking away the tool that Biden officials hoped would put a major dent in the country’s unvaccinated population. “I am disappointed that the Supreme Court has chosen to block common-sense life-saving requirements,” Biden said in a statement, calling the vaccine-or-test rules “a very modest burden.” That the decision comes amid a surge that’s straining hospitals and forcing school closures proved extra frustrating for the administration, where GOP-driven resistance and politicization of the shots has convinced many officials there’s vanishingly little chance at getting through to vaccine holdouts absent a mandate. Indeed, Republicans quickly celebrated the decision as a blow to Biden’s agenda — including former President Donald Trump, who simultaneously blasted the vaccine requirements as “disastrous” and criticized Biden for not doing enough to end the pandemic. There are some silver linings for Dems. States and employers can still impose their own vaccination policies. The Supreme Court’s ruling also kicks the issue back to an appeals court — though there’s little sign the justices would reverse their ruling if the case came back to them. Biden’s vaccine mandate for health workers survived, though. The high court ruled 5-4 that the government can require providers to vaccinate their staffs or risk losing federal funding — a decision that hinged on HHS’ preexisting regulatory authority over the industry. That prompted cheers from health groups that have largely backed the sweeping federal mandate. “Now more than ever, workers in all settings across the country need commonsense, evidence-based protections against COVID-19 infection,” the American Medical Association said. GOP TO KEEP UP VAX MANDATE REPEAL PUSH — One thing the Supreme Court’s decision won’t stop: GOP efforts to eliminate the vaccine-or-test rule altogether through a floor vote, POLITICO’s Alice Miranda Ollstein reports. Republicans led by Rep. Fred Keller (R-Pa.) vowed to keep working toward the 218 signatures needed to force a repeal vote in the Democrat-controlled House — arguing a legislative rebuke is more permanent than any relief the courts provide. Every single House Republican has signed on already, meaning Keller needs only to peel off a handful of Democrats to trigger a vote. There’s one big issue with the plan: Biden would almost assuredly veto the repeal bill if it got to his desk. But Keller contended the exercise would send a message and discourage the administration from pursuing similar measures in the future. CONGRESS IN A HOLDING PATTERN ON COVID SUPPLEMENTAL — Capitol Hill is preparing to pour more money into the Covid-19 fight — but wants more direction from the White House before lawmakers start putting pen to paper, Alice reports. The administration still must tell Congress exactly what additional funding is needed to combat the Omicron surge, according to a House Democratic aide. But movement could come in the next few weeks, especially since many hope the supplemental can be wrapped into a must-pass government spending bill that’s due by mid-February. Any Covid-19 funding bill must be bipartisan, meaning it’s likely to be narrowly tailored to the current crisis for public health, schools and some businesses. So don’t expect other health priorities, such as stalled provisions boosting Obamacare subsidies and Medicaid coverage, to be included. There’s also signs of trouble ahead. Some Republicans are warning they won’t support more Covid funding without clarity on how the trillions of dollars in aid approved last year have been spent. That group includes Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), the top GOP lawmaker on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. | 
