U.S. Congressman and U.S. Senate candidate Tim Ryan (D-Niles) has announced he has COVID, saying he knows if he weren’t vaccinated, he’d be doing much worse.
Meanwhile, Ohio’s current Democratic US Senator is sounding off about President Biden’s plan for a COVID vaccine mandate or regular testing for businesses.
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) said he supports the vaccine or testing mandate, though Ohio’s Dave Yost is one of 24 Republican attorneys general signing onto a letter demanding Biden drop the mandate or risk getting sued.
“I don’t understand how one political party has been taken over by radicals who are so strongly opposed to this important public health measure," Brown said in an interview.
Ohio’s Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, hasn’t commented on the mandate, though the Republicans running to replace him have shared their strong opposition in controversial videos and tweets.
Former Ohio Republican Party chair Jane Timken referred to it as a "power grab". Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno called it "horrific policy and illegal". Cleveland businessman Mike Gibbonsreferred to it as "tyrannical". Venture capitalist J.D. Vance called for "mass civil disobedience" and said the mandate was "morally reprehensible". And former state treasurer Josh Mandel tweeted out a video comparing the mandate to "the gestapo", which sparked outrage from many, including the Anti-Defamation League.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce hasn’t criticized the mandate, but in a statement, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce said “limiting employer rights are not the right approach.”