Judge Reminds CDC It Doesn't Make the Law in Huge Ruling Against Vaccine Passports
Thanks to one federal judge in Florida, Friday brought a huge victory for those of us hoping to preserve some semblance of American liberty.
Judge Steven Merryday of the Middle District of Florida sided with the state of Florida in a ruling against the CDC’s “sailing orders” that were severely hampering Florida’s cruise industry.
“Never has CDC implemented measures as extensive, disabling, and exclusive as those under review in this action,” Merryday wrote in his ruling. Among the CDC’s strictest orders was a stipulation that 98 percent of crew members and 95 percent of passengers be vaccinated, according to WFLA-TV.
“This order finds that Florida is highly likely to prevail on the merits of the claim that CDC’s conditional sailing order and the implementing orders exceed the authority delegated to CDC.”
Furthermore, Merryday approved the state’s motion for a preliminary injunction suspending the mandatory guidelines for cruise ships, noting that the CDC is “preliminarily enjoined from enforcing against a cruise ship arriving in, within, or departing from a port in Florida the conditional sailing order and the later measures.”
The judge went on to note that the order is in place until July 18 and will only persist thereafter as “only a non-binding ‘consideration,’ ‘recommendation’ or ‘guideline.'”
If the CDC wishes to give up some of its power (which, after months and months of overreach, seems highly unlikely), it can propose a “narrower injunction” before July 2that allows cruise ships to sail.
In a statement issued by his office on Friday, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis celebrated the court’s ruling.
“The CDC has been wrong all along, and they knew it,” DeSantis said.
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“The CDC and the Biden Administration concocted a plan to sink the cruise industry, hiding behind bureaucratic delay and lawsuits. Today, we are securing this victory for Florida families, for the cruise industry, and for every state that wants to preserve its rights in the face of unprecedented federal overreach.”
This is a huge win against the administrative state.
The CDC is meant to be an agency, not a legislative body.
Nevertheless, throughout the pandemic, its “experts” have been deciding for us how to live our lives.
Should CDC scientists be seen as a scientific authority? Sure.
But that doesn’t mean they have the right to make decisions that affect so many forces that are far beyond their knowledge and expertise.
For example, CDC recommendations to lock down the country didn’t seem to take into account the economic toll such a decision might have. They stole countless livelihoods and, as of now, there is no definitive evidence showing that the lockdowns had any effect on mitigating the reach of COVID.
It is very possible they could have added to the death toll quite considerably.
Florida’s victory against the CDC cannot be overstated.
It proved that, as hopeless as times have seemed in the past year, federalism can still win out in the end.
The states still have the power to fight back against Biden’s big-government agenda.
And who knows: In three years, maybe Ron DeSantis will undo all the damage done by big-government Democrats by taking up office in the White House.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
