Biden’s Sweeping Vaccine Mandates Infuriate Republican Governors

Some employers and business groups welcomed the new coronavirus requirements, but many G.O.P. leaders issued outright condemnations.

President Biden’s orders pushing millions of workers to get vaccinated were aimed at turning the tide on a pandemic that has killed 650,000 Americans. But on Friday, the mandates immediately deepened the nation’s political divisions over coronavirus vaccinations and government power. Some employers and business groups welcomed the sweeping new requirements, which affect most federal employees and contractors, health care workers, and companies with 100 or more employees. Labor unions representing millions of workers expressed a mix of support and reservations. And Republican leaders issued outright condemnations, calling the mandates a big-government attack on personal freedoms and private business. News of the mandates prompted Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina to say he would fight Mr. Biden and his party “to the gates of hell.”